Whenever I am having a bad day, am sick, want to relax, or just put the TV on in the background, I always gravitate towards my comfort shows and movies. I struggle with getting engrossed in a new TV show, having the attention span to follow an unknown movie plot, or the desire to connect with new characters.
If you relate, keep reading!
I love returning to my comfort TV shows and movies. I love my characters, like Blair Waldorf in New York City and Rory Gilmore in Stars Hollow. I seek adventure like Marty McFly traveling through time, or the fun and flirty journalism lifestyle of Andi Anderson. Depending on my mood, I revert to whichever character I feel most like at the moment. It feels homey to follow a plot where I already know how it concludes. I already know what will happen to each character, so no one’s fate is up to chance.
To me, a comfort show is about a combination of feelings. Predictability and familiarity are huge factors when I decide to watch something. Most of my days are unique, uncertain, and full of activity. When I finally have a break from the chaos, something that is certain and consistent makes me feel at ease, making me lean towards shows I have already watched. There are also nostalgic or emotional connections to many of my comfort choices. I watched Legally Blonde for the first time with my mom, and as a pre-law student myself, Elle Woods quickly became my idol. Good Luck Charlie was the only show my two younger sisters and I could agree on when we were ages six, nine, and 11, becoming our after-school ritual. I think of my sisters every time I hear the words “Disney channel”, and almost every chick flick makes me think of my mom, who was always full of laughter during those types of movies.
Sometimes I consider what my actions say about me, and in this case, I think my tendency to rewatch connects to my desire for control. I strongly dislike not being in control of my life and am a control freak sometimes in other people’s lives as well. Likely, one of the many reasons that I love to see the same plot unfold time and time again is because it is consistent, dependable, and I’m in control.
I theorize that even production companies know this common human tendency, which explains the unlimited number of reboots and spin-offs. They have figured out that one way to gain an audience is to produce something where an audience already exists! As a Gossip Girl lover, I immediately jumped into the spin-off show. When I was little, I adored Princess Belle, so as soon as the live-action Beauty and the Beast movie came out, the movie theatre immediately pulled the cost of a ticket out of my bank account.
This dependence that I have on comfort is acceptable and okay most of the time, but what about when I want to watch something new? The answer is — I do! I have watched plenty of movies, and start (but likely do not finish) new shows at least monthly. Just because I adore repetition does not mean I am afraid of novelty. There is a sense of fascination and enjoyment that comes with the unknown, a feeling that we all know and many love. I absolutely love going to the movie theatre, even if I have no clue what will unfold on the gigantic screen in front of me. I love the feeling of testing out a pilot episode — especially if a friend recommends it. I laugh it off when I watch the credits of a movie roll and I realize that I did not care for a single minute of what just left my screen.
All in all, they are called comfort shows for a reason and although trying something new is fresh and exciting, I love the feeling of returning to my favorite, beloved, and practically memorized TV shows and movies.