Tuning in...

I asked a question on Facebook the other day about becoming emotionally invested in a TV show. I received a variety of answers, as a result.

Here was the original question:
What TV show have you been the most emotionally invested in? Like if something happens on the show, does it make or break your week depending on whether it's good or bad? Do you find yourself sobbing from an episode or wanting to call the writers and yell at them? Anything goes here!

There were some people who answered that they were depressed for days or even WEEKS after something bad happened to a character on a show. The first comment I received was: "It's TV for crying out loud!"

Yes, it is TV. That makes me wonder why we get so emotionally invested in the first place. I don't even know if movies have this impact since it's a one-time sit through and then you watch the same story over and over again if you like it, but you know the outcome. With TV, you are taken along on a 20 + episode ride through any given year. You get to know the characters through the various episodes and bond with them as a result. There are lots of cliffhangers throughout the season to keep you wondering what will happen to the characters. It's truly intense!

The reason I asked the question was because of last week's series finale of How I Met Your Mother and this week's "upset" on The Mindy Project. (If you don't want spoilers for either, stop right here and watch the shows and then come back afterward.)

Anyway, with How I Met Your Mother, there were all these theories about the characters that were played upon by the writers, leaving little room for any surprises. Everyone was speculating that the mother would die and Ted would end up with Robin at some point in the future. So we can't say we didn't see the ending coming. Still, when the mother first showed up, she was so adorable and funny and just perfect for Ted, so we wanted them to live happily ever after and grow old together. It was what we'd been waiting for after nine seasons. So killing her off and then putting him with Robin because they wrote it that way in 2005 was not satisfying to many viewers. I'm definitely one of those viewers. I walked away from the show with a "meh" feeling. I know some people were yelling and screaming at the injustice of it all. I just felt let down and annoyed.

Then there were this week's episodes of The Mindy Project. After dating for only a short period of time, Danny broke things off with Mindy, stating that he didn't want to lose her as a friend. Some people on the show's Facebook fan page are in an uproar. It's almost amusing to see how much they are freaking out. I keep telling them to relax because it's not the season (or series) finale and we don't know what's around the next corner for Mindy and Danny. Then again, I could be enjoying this because it means I get Danny to myself now. ;) Even so, I am a cheerleader for Mindy and Danny being together. That kiss in the mid-season finale was stellar. I kept watching it over and over and getting good chills each time.

Anyway, both shows led me to think about shows I've been emotionally invested in over time. I have liked a lot of shows, but there are some that just grab me in various ways by making me a bawling mess, getting me all anxious for the characters, streaming into my subconscious with dreams about stuff that happened, etc. I'll share about a few of them here.

The first time I became emotionally invested in a show was with Punky Brewster. There was an episode where Henry was sick and Punky had to be taken back to the orphanage. I remember crying after an episode where we would wonder whether they'd get to be together again. I was nine years old at the time. Funny enough, I watched an episode with my kids recently where Brandon gets injured and you think he's going to die and then this old woman's dog dies instead. I was sitting there with tears streaming down my face. And I'm 37 now!

Full House has gotten to me many, many times. I've cried over small things like when they reminisce about the mother who died after Michelle was born (why do all of Bob Saget's wives have to die?!?) and big things like when Jesse's grandpa died. I can barely think about that episode without crying. I had a happy cry when Steve came back to go to the prom with DJ in the series finale. There were all sorts of other things on that show that could make me get all emotional.

Even Saved by the Bell has had some emotional moments. I can't NOT cry when Jessie is "so scared" after taking caffeine pills and being caught by Zack. I also cry happy tears when Zack makes an outdoor prom for Kelly and sad tears when they break up. I never understood teen love, but Zack and Kelly were meant to be together!

Friends is next on my list. I remember sobbing when Ross walked off the plane with Julie after Rachel realized he liked her and was going to meet him there. I've gotten teary-eyed at various other moments on the show throughout the many seasons. I loved the cliff hangers they had from time to time and how they played them out. I was rooting for Chandler and Monica to get together and loved how people started finding out eventually.

Dawson's Creek had the ability to mess with my emotions from time to time and the series finale just put me over the edge.

I found myself yelling and crying at Carrie on Sex and the City when she cheated on Aidan with Big. I think I threw a pillow at the TV.

Desperate Housewives got into my head way too much and I'd obsess over what was happening on the show, even when it wasn't on. There was always an element of danger too. I got wrapped up in their lives and nervous for them when something could potentially go wrong or someone could get hurt. My heart was thudding the whole episode leading up to the murder of one of the really great characters on the show. I even had dreams about various episodes, especially after something traumatic happened, like Carlos going blind after the tornado. I was really sad when Tom and Lynnette were separated. I didn't want that to happen at all.

Next is 90210. Yes, the new series. I will admit that I cried my heart out when Adrianna gave her baby up for adoption. I also became obsessed with the story lines from that show. There was a danger element for the characters, as well, which always made me nervous. There were a few other times throughout the series when I'd cry from something that happened to one of the characters.

Ugly Betty knew how to draw me in emotionally, especially since I could relate to Betty in a lot of ways. The ending to the first season traumatized me and it didn't help that the second season started off with a false hope only to have it dashed by the end of the episode, in a heartbreaking way. There were many more emotional ups and downs throughout the year. One of the hardest was when Daniel's girlfriend died. So heartbreaking!

Despite how Glee has felt like a train wreck over the last few seasons, there have been some emotional episodes. Mind you, I did not cry at the Finn memorial episode. It was more in the earlier seasons when stuff had an emotional impact. However, I had a dream about this week's episode before even seeing it based on what was in the preview. Thankfully, the outcome of the actual episode wasn't as bad as I was fearing. I also get wound up about stuff the characters do and attribute it to the actors.

Those are the main shows that have affected me emotionally in one way or another throughout the years. I'd love to hear about the shows that have this grip on you!