Ode to the Rerun

We all have favorite TV shows. Shows we can't miss. Shows we make dates to watch. Shows we discuss and dissect with friends. Shows we tape/Tivo/Netflix /on-demand. It's usually important to watch such shows in sequence so that the trajectory of the story is cohesive. This makes reruns frustrating and annoying when you're dying to get to the next plot point.

When I got hooked on Six Feet Under, the show had completed its run on HBO. I had heard it was good, so I Netflixed the first few episodes ... and was immediately and forever hooked/devoted/fanatical. The goings on of the Fisher family consumed my waking hours for weeks. (To this day, I get wistful when I drive by a funeral home with a residence attached.) If I had been watching while it was airing, reruns might have rendered me insane.

But now I've seen every episode in proper sequence, and the Fishers' lives have been resolved in satisfying narrative. I even know how each of them dies. No unanswered questions. What a relief!

This makes reruns (now airing on Bravo) sweet, because I'm no longer desperate for the next development. I can relax and enjoy the nuances of Ruth's self-discoveries, Claire's drug experimentations and Keith's anxieties about becoming a parent (not to mention the exquisite camera work, the clever turns-of-phrase dialogue and the ingenious casting of guest stars whose characters are not long for this world), while not freaking out about what the hell happened to Lisa.

All this to say, hoorah for the rerun -- in its place. It can bring a whole new level of appreciation to already beloved shows. AFTER we know what happens, that is.