I really, really didn’t want to sign up for Netflix streaming.
I already have cable. And let me tell you, there’s nothing on.
Paying for yet another service? One that surely wouldn’t have anything on? I’ve seen all the ads about the “exclusive” Netflix films and shows. And I didn’t fall for it. Count. Me. Out.
But then my niece, Stacey, needed a place to crash for her summer internship right down the road from my house. What do I have in common with a college girl other than our genes?
Literally nothing. What do I have to offer her other than a spare bedroom and takeout food?
Literally nothing.
Like I said. All I’ve got is cable, and there’s nothing on.
I haven’t seen Stacey since she was eight-years-old. I was terrified she’d find out I wasn’t nearly as cool to adults as I am to kids. I was toast.
And then my friend, Jim, who has college kids of his own piped in.
“Seth,” he said, a knowing glint in his eyes. “She doesn’t need you to entertain her. Ya know what college kids like? Pizza and Netflix. My kids call it ‘Netflix and chill.’ Whatever that means.”
Netflix and chill.
I had no idea what that meant, but for $9.99 a month, I was willing to find out. For my niece. A guy doesn’t rebound after being labeled the “boring uncle.”
I had to do something.
Could a Bunch of Netflix Films Save My Hide?
So, I read the reviews, compared it to other streaming services and took the plunge with a heavy dose of skepticism.
And promptly ate my words.
I binged Dhamer in a matter of three days. I couldn’t sleep after the first episode anyway, so I plowed my way through with a baseball bat in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.
After that, with Stacey arriving in just a week, I decided to work my way through at least a couple episodes of each show on the top ten list. I mean, what if she’d already seen them? I didn’t want to seem like even more of an idiot.
But if she hadn’t seen them, I’d have something interesting to say other than, “Hey, remember that time when grandpa fell asleep with a ham biscuit in his mouth?”
Cringe.
So, I watched two episodes of everything on the top ten Netflix streaming
list and here’s what I found:
- The Watcher- Super creepy guy named Daniel stalks the pretty new neighbor. (Must buy pepper spray for Stacey.)
- DAHMER: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story- Serial killers are everywhere. No one is safe.
- From Scratch- Amy moves to Italy and falls in love with Lino and his croissants.
- Love is Blind- People are so desperate for love they’ll marry literal strangers.
- The Midnight Club- If the serial killers don’t get you, cancer and disease will. Patients form a sharing circle to tell scary stories.
- Unsolved Mysteries- Crime is everywhere and apparently bad guys never get caught. (Security system is being installed tomorrow.)
- The Sinner: Season 4: Percy- A haunted detective in New York struggles to solve
crimes while wrestling with his own demons (haven’t figured out if demons are real or figurative). - 28 Days Haunted: Crazy people spend twenty-eight days in some of America’s most haunted locations. (Not sure why. I’ll never sleep again.)
- Dynasty- Real life mob families in Atlanta will do anything for money and prestige.
- Wild Croc Territory- Men in shorts wrangling crocodiles for money.
The Bottom Line: Netflix Streaming is Worth It
Well, Stacey arrived with a big smile and an even bigger suitcase. She was pumped about all the Netflix films and shows, and I finally figured out what Netflix and chill means.
I kept my subscription. Stacey is coming back to visit at Christmas. And I’m pretty sure I haven’t been labeled the boring uncle.
A guy can’t ask for much more than that.
Jordan Thompson 