I watched the series finale of "The Office" last night, but before I did, I had to blow through the previous five episodes gathering dust on my DVR. In the end, it was worth the night of marathon television, but when I think about the entire final season of "30 Rock," also unwatched on my DVR, I wonder when I’ll get around to it.
Honestly, I’ve lost interest in "30 Rock," and "The Office" didn’t make me laugh out loud anymore. But these shows – like most shows I watch – I’ve seen every episode in order. I feel like the least I can do is see them through to the end.
These aren’t the only two series that I’ve watched in their entirety. "Big Love," "Breaking Bad," "Mad Men," "Hung," "True Blood" and "LOST" come to mind. "LOST" was, as I recall, the first show that every episode was unmissable. I certainly don’t remember feeling this way about "Three’s Company."
The problem is that almost every show "jumps the shark" near the end of its run. Some much sooner, like "The Simpsons." A few don’t, like "Breaking Bad," which continues to get better until its series finale this summer.
But if I’ve invested years in watching a show like "The Office," I feel the need for television closure. I’m not sure if it’s loyalty or stubbornness, really.
Fortunately, in the case of "The Office," its writers thanked my loyalty/stubbornness with an excellent final two episodes. The last one was really, really great, reminding me of why I started watching this show in first place.
I like the long-form storytelling that comes with a serial show, in which episodes can be strung together to form a long, long movie. But I wouldn’t mind throwing in a few more shows like "Always Sunny In Philadelphia" into my roster, in which I could watch when I feel like it, and skip when I don’t.
I just don’t have that much time to devote to my TV, and my DVR is still pretty full.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
