141: 12.2 You, Me & Crime Dramas

We dont have a television in our little London apartment. It was a conscious choice on our part when designing our home. We didn't want something in it that could potentially waste away many of our hours. We already have our phones and laptops for that. In contrast, our home in Malaysia is blessed with a modern, thin, curved television screen. It portrays TV shows and films in ultra HD, elevating anyones watching experience. But whenever I am home, I would wake up in the morning and plonk myself on the couch in front of that same television and switch it on. I would channel surf until I find something remotely good to watch. Usually I will not find it, so I would settle for something mediocre. Something that is barely interesting. Between this tendency to switch channels and the pain stacking lengthy advertisements, I would waste so many hours in front of this contraption. As such, despite many protests from family and friends, we have had a TV-less home for about 3 years now and have no plans of purchasing one anytime soon.

But this doesn't mean we don't watch television. When together in London, A and I would spend a lot of time watching TV shows or films that suit both of our interests. After a lot of fine tuning, hits and misses through testing different genres like historical fiction, comedy and family drama, we have found our common spot in crime dramas. Specifically, British crime dramas that sometimes spill out to those produced in Europe. We have found our niche in crime thrillers that include Luther, Happy Valley, Silent Witness and lately, Line of Duty.

Compared to their American counterparts, British TV dramas are more realistic - there are less CSI-esque over-the-top characters like Horatio. British characters are more fallible, complex and relatable. The British plots unravel slower too, adding to the overall suspense and viewer anticipation. And often, the plots are much more complex, with layers and layers of subplots embedded within the main storyline. Basically, it is great - we haven't been disappointed as of yet. I can't really pinpoint its exact pull, maybe it is the mystery of the murders? Or maybe the interesting take on corruption in the police force and in politics? Or maybe the relatable nature of its characters?

Anyway, we have only grown in our commitment to our common hobby by venturing into Danish crime dramas too - if you think British dramas are slow, Danish dramas feel like tortoises to the British hare. We started and finished The Killing (which has now been adapted to American TV, ugh) which spanned 12 episodes per season, each episode 1 hour long. It was a long slog, but an enjoyable one.

I never liked crime dramas before. It has always been A's line of interest. This and science fiction. I on the other hand, would rather indulge on family, medical or historical dramas. From This is Us, to Grey's Anatomy and The Crown, unfortunately I have never succeeded in converting A to my side of TV. Instead, somehow rather, despite my inherent disdain for anything alien related, he has converted me into a Dr Who fan. Needless to say, he is very persuasive.

In the end, after a long day, at work or otherwise, it is such a blessing to cuddle up on the sofa, laptop on A's lap with a hot cup of tea in my hands to watch some gruesome murders. We will play along with the game of "Whodunnit?" and once the plot twist is finally revealed (or not), we will call it a night.