The summer of 2024 was supposed to be a blockbuster season for TV.
And as a result, Ive found myself watching most, if not all, of these shows ambiently.
I watchedThe Bearwhile cooking.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
I (sorry) nodded off slightly during slower portions ofHouse of the Dragon.
(Daemons extended, vision-filled stay at Harrenhal, Im looking at you.)
I did the washing up while watchingBridgerton.
I did my nails while watchingEmily in Paris.
In some cases, I actually dont mindI almost prefer it.
But did I also watch most of that season while tidying my apartment?
After all, was that happy ending ever really in doubt?
And I loved every second of it.
Why, I wondered, did I so enjoy bingeing these shows ambiently?
Theres also something to be said about our (my) obsession with productivity.
Its an entirely different story, however, when it comes to shows that are decidedlynotdesigned for ambient viewing.
But then came a languid third season where nothing much happened.
The 10 episodes ranged from forgettable at best to excruciatingly boring at worst.
While the likes ofBridgertonandEmily in Parisleft me in a zen-like state, I found even ambiently watchingThe Bearextremely draining.
I felt the same frustration and profound disappointment withHouse of the Dragon.
It was a real endurance test.
By mid-August, Id reached a crisis point.
Did I have some form of attention deficit disorder?
Was I now destined to watch everything ambiently?
As it turns out, no.
Like everything else Id streamed over the past few months, I began watching it while doing busywork.
