Good morning! I hope the world is being good to you and you’re being good to it.

Grab your coffee or beverage of choice and share a thought with me!

There are a lot of shows I want to watch, catch up on and start, but there is nary enough time to consume the plethora of options out there today. I remember a time when you could keep up with HBO’s Sunday showcase and not only be up-to-date with the best shows on TV but still have time to catch up with a series or two out on DVD. Now, HBO still has its Sunday powerhouse, but every other network and streaming service has stepped up its game to create a never-ending train of “must watch” TV. This requires viewers to prioritize where they invest their attention currency or give up on kids, sleep, and hobbies in order to take it all in.

I try my best to prioritize watching quality and avoiding whatever “stream of the week” may be out there. FX has been putting out some heat lately, and I find AppleTV created a strong library. Unfortunately, HBO priced itself out of my current subscription allowance, because $18-22 a month feels ridiculous, and paying for a service to still receive ads is one of the great crimes of our day. Yet, despite my seemingly judicious attitude toward where I invest my time, I’m still wasting hour after hour trying to finish Outlander.

Yes, Outlander, a show one would think is about a time-traveling nymphomaniac but is really about a time-traveling…oh I don’t even know anymore, has somehow kept me coming back (checking the episode guide) EIGHT SEASONS! Seeing that brings about the same heart-stopping reaction as looking at the credit card statement after vacation. How did this happen? Why oh why?! I think my wife and I are watching at this point just to say we finished it. While the show itself has maybe not lost the plot, it’s become so convoluted that I certainly have. There probably hasn’t been an episode in the past five seasons to fully hold my attention or that I’ve cared enough to understand from start to finish. Yet, here we are, five episodes left, and starting each one feels like I’m gearing up to shoot straight vinegar.

Is this a sickness? We could just walk away, but at this point we need resolution. I think at this point we have to power through and get the satisfaction of putting Outlander to sleep. Once we watch that last episode, this show can’t hurt us anymore, and I can go find the next show to waste my time on (I’m looking at you Hijack and Invasion).