Romancing the show.

I love to read, and I’m a great fan of Netflix. But my favorite form of entertainment is television. To me, the connection you form with a TV show is a little like having a relationship.

Flirting stage: Maybe you decide to check out a show based on the way it looks. You may like the first episode, but you aren’t ready to settle down with it yet. So you’ll watch it if you happen to be home, but you haven’t formed a strong attachment.

Honeymoon stage: You’ve decided to commit to the new show. Now even when you’re not home, you’ll record it to watch later. You’re excited to introduce it to all your friends. You may even become a bit stalkerish and go to the show’s Web site or read episode recaps on entertainment Web sites.

Old-marrieds stage: After a few years, the magic may be gone. Your show’s not as good as it used to be. You start to watch out of a sense of duty more than joy.

Break-up stage: Sometimes your show has gotten so bad you have to break up with it. Either it’s let itself go over the years or it presents a deal breaker of a storyline (Izzie killing Denny and not getting in trouble?!?). At this point, the only thing to do is say goodbye and hope you’ll meet another show that you can settle down with. — Erica, Copywriter