What Awful TV Show, Movie, Or Game Series Are You Incapable of Giving Up?

House of Cards was, at one point, an enjoyable political thriller wrapped in the alluring aesthetics of David Fincher, giving the show a sense of gravitas it never really earned. It's since become a joke, a show that spends every season trying to be more ridiculous and outrageous than the next, throwing away any pretense of having something to say about modern Washington, even when the existence of Donald Trump should have provided an unexpected weight. I keep watching.

Granted, House of Cards still has a few things going for it, notably Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, two phenomenal actors, taking awful scripts and treating them like they're on the blacklist. Spacey's goofy Southern schtick should have grown irritating three seasons ago, but he clearly decided to say "Fuck it" and ham it up. That has a certain charm; a bunch of talented giving it their all to prop up garbage.

Rather than find a decent story to tell, the show seems to have realized there's gold to be mined in putting the characters in increasingly absurd situations, daring the audience to give up. "You're locked in here with me, buddy. "So far, neither of us have blinked. House of Cards hasn't become enjoyable, in the sense that it's telling good stories, and I haven't decided to stop watching this filth.

This isn't new for me, of course. I have trouble giving up on stories I've invested in, even when the storytelling itself has exhausted all rational means to do so Why else would a human watch every season of Prison Break, when the only decent season was the first one? (OK, the second one, when they get out, was pretty fun.)

This probably explain my unnatural attraction to horror franchises with five, six, or seven entries. (I'm looking at you, underrated Jason X.) If a series has gone on far too long, you've got my attention. I'm drawn to the ridiculousness, the how?

Do you have a series—TV, movie, game, musician—you haven't been able to kick the habit of? Can someone explain why I listen to every new Weezer album? Let's talk about it in the forums!

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