Perspective

It's easy to lose perspective. Tonight's loss was related to Netflix.

In August, just before going out of town for two weeks, I got rid of my cable TV. I took my DVR to the local office and said I wanted to cancel. No muss, no fuss. I've been enjoying not having cable, although I have started looking at digital antenna, I was a little more interested than I wanted to be in Comcast's latest double-play that includes HBO for 2 years, and I've been doing a little more mainlining of shows than I had hoped.

And this is where tonight's loss of perspective comes in. I've recently been mainlining the last couple of seasons of 'Criminal Minds'. It was a show I'd watched for a period of time but then, much like the show's original lead, Mandy Patinkin, I started to feel that exposing myself to the horrors of that show and 'Law & Order: SVU' and to a lesser degree 'NCIS' might not be good for me. So, I'd stopped watching a few years ago.

I find mainlining a show really helps to focus on the characters and the patterns of a show rather than the plot of a single episode. And, perhaps consuming it over a short period rather than weekly for a longer time doesn't affect me as much? And, really, I just like being able to go through a whole season arch not just an episode every week or so.

Tonight, I came home with the plan to make dinner and a cocktail, and watch the next episode of Season 9 (for those keeping track at home, Season 10 just started, although I figure I'll mainline that next year at some point). So I power up the television and my Amazon Fire TV box, click on the 'Criminal Minds' icon, and am directed to Season 1, episode 1. I'm annoyed, being used to it letting me pick up where I left off. Then I realize there is no Season 9 available and I'm cranky. I know Netflix sometimes stops having things available but I thought I'd been able to see that on my Fire app but I'd not seen any notice. I feel frustrated and let down and dismayed because now I have no plan for what to watch with dinner.

I do feel foolish about this, too, which doesn't help. I've been hearing a lot lately about autism and have been thinking that really we all have things we're not good at coping with. I think there is a certain level of coping I am capable of and then after that, I get cranky. Fairly standard. Thankfully, I am in control of myself so that I don't act out or lose control (physically or otherwise--well, except for getting cranky). I've not been sleeping well lately, so that means my coping level is lower than normal. It's been our super busy, super stressful time of year at work, so that is another thing lowering my coping level.

My plan becomes that I will log into my Netflix account on my computer and send a message about better communication for those using the Fire app if a season of a show is going away, since neither my Fire nor iPhone app offer any such functionality. Turns out, neither does Netflix's main site. Contact Us offers chat or phone. No, I don't want to dialog. I want to vent and suggest and not be replied to.

Somehow, I get back to their 'Criminal Minds' page and then I notice in the "reviews" folks complaining about Season 9 disappearing. I read through the first 3 or 4 pages of these and see references to it being pulled due to an audio issue. I had wondered about the audio myself--the audio and video were not syncing well, which is more annoying than you might expect. With no where else to go, I did leave my comments as a "review" suggesting that they have a way to inform customers of when something has been made unavailable for some reason and either a timeline for when to expect it back or a way to get a notification when it is back. They have my viewing history. They can see I watched episodes 1-7 of Season 9 recently. Is it a big stretch to think I might want to watch 8-20-whatever sometime soon?

For better or worse, my frustration with Netflix (except maybe the fact you cannot include the word "Netflix" in a review; although one reviewer came up with a great solution, see below!) was watered down reading the "reviews" others had left in response to the disappearance of Season 9. I was left with a general sense of "No, I'm good." Here are some of the "reviews" that made me put it all in perspective:

please add back season 9... I'm so sad right now, I didn't get to watch it...I love Criminal Minds, why would you guys take away one season?

i NEED season 9!!! i was ALMOST done!!!! come on!!!!!!!!!!!! geez. NF get it fixed and hurrrryyyy!!!!!!

Oh my god where is season 9!??!!!!! I don't care I will watch it with the audio glitches! Please give me back season 9!!!!!!

So, season 9 was removed because of the audio glitches? Great timing NF! Idiots! Most of us were trying to catch up on the season before season 10 starts, now we won't be able to. I only had a few more episodes to go. I cry foul! Seriously!

I really needed you tonight, Season 9. You let me down. I am heart broken. Please come back soon, you are my whole lifeline.

Love the show! But very ANGRY with Nitflix right now. I was almost caught up…I was dealing with the audio glitches (even though they were driving me crazy)…and I thought for sure there was just a mistake when an episode I was watching today just stopped. I kept trying to restart it, then I tried another episode, and another. Nothing in season 9 would work. And now the whole season has been removed. SERIOUSLY!! THE DAY BEFORE THE SEASON 10 PREMIERE!!

Halfway through season 9, just trying to catch up so I can watch the season premiere tomorrow. Super grumpy now.... I think I might cry.

I need season nine back NOW!!!! Season 10 starts TOMORROW AND I WAS ONLY HALF WAY FINISHED!!!!