Disclaimer: There is a slight spoiler at the end if you have not watched Grey’s Anatomy.
I, like most people in this world, have my bad days, my good days, and my serious wish that I could bundle up and ignore the world days. On the days when I find myself wanting to seriously ignore the human race, I rewatch my old favorites. Favorites that I’ve either finished, stopped in the middle, or couldn’t remember what was going on in the first place.
I found myself restarting the show Grey’s Anatomy today. A show that every girl in my high school was watching. It was either Grey’s Anatomy or Criminal Minds. Two shows that as a tiny ninth grader, I watched and cried and couldn’t sleep over. They became my comfort shows. The characters were my friends when my real friends felt like they were miles apart, even if they were just across the cafeteria table.
I thought about going into college either pre-med or something along the lines of forensics. That’s how much these shows affected me. The problem with both was science and math just aren’t my specialties, so I left it to the actors to act like they know how to do brain surgery and how to catch a serial killer who’s just getting started on his spree.
What is all this to mean? This is the question you’re probably asking yourself as you sit to read this article.
Rewatching shows bring comfort because you already know the characters, and you know what’s going to happen. No surprises, no jokes you’re not on the in with. All the tragedies are sad but not gut-wrenching. It’s the type of sadness where you just found out and now have to move on with the characters. You can keep it pushing, and the comfort marathon continues.
It is often less about actually watching the show and more about needing no surprises and wanting to just snuggle into your blankets, and everything is as it’s supposed to be. No worrying that the actor is going to mess up their lines. They’re professionals and know what they’re doing. You’ve seen the show before, so you can relax and just watch, or do what I do: mouth the lines alongside the actors. This of course annoys my mother, but it makes me happy. It’s not going to scare you or have you on the edge of your seat. You can eat your ice cream, snuggle up in your favorite blanket, and block out the rest of the world. Nobody making you upset, no issues at work or at school. The world may be falling apart outside, but you’re watching one of your favorite shows, and you’re taking time for yourself.
So I’ll continue to watch my comfort shows because while the world is kind of falling apart, graduation rearing its ugly head at me, the idea of having to apply for jobs, and just life in general. At least I know that Meredith is going to fall for McDreamy and the wheels are up in twenty.