The original post: /r/television by /u/suekearneymaven on 2025-10-27 04:57:36.
I love a good heist, crime, or mystery — and a smart dramedy or medical drama, too. But my tolerance for intensity isn’t what it used to be. I’m coming up on my 75th birthday and find myself a lot more tender these days.
On my own personal intensity scale, let’s say Murder, She Wrote and Columbo live on the very safe end, and The Wire Season 4 (when Randy’s aunt’s house gets torched, and then Randy takes that heartbreaking turn) anchors the other. My comfort zone is in the middle — White Collar, Monk, The Pitt, Resident Alien — smart, keeps me coming back for more, with enough balance that the darkness doesn’t get too tight a hold on my imagination.
And this tenderness isn’t new. Back in the Stone Age, I couldn’t even watch The Shield or Breaking Bad when they first came around — too much for me.
The new HBO show Task, with Mark Ruffalo, had me turning it off halfway through the first episode in search of something lighter.
So: what’s out there that’s smart, well-made, and in that middle zone? Engaging, maybe even a little dark, but still safe to watch before bed. I’m open to shows from earlier eras, though I know it’s really hard to find any that aren’t so heteronormative that they’re rendered impossible to watch.