Back off – I’m gonna blow! Well, maybe not blow, exactly, but certainly ruin your viewing pleasure. I am seriously, seriously dangerous, which for me is a whole new role in a whole new world. I used to be the last to watch any new shows or films; now I live with the Ubergeek – a wonderful, wonderful man who is flawed only in so far as he has to see everything, read everything and rewatch everything ever made ever before it even comes out.
I’m used to not buying film magazines, or blurring my eyes while trying to avoid American Tweets about shows I know I’ll watch…someday. Now, that day is yesterday. America has nothing on me since we got our Region 1 dvd player. I have seen everything. EVERYTHING – only discounting more stuff on the grounds of my brain being full. Brilliant stories, great performances – all good.
But now I have information that sometimes I’d rather not have. Too often, recently, I’ve given away some big moment or plot twist because I assumed that it was the old days and that everyone else had already seen the future, too. It doesn’t feel good, let me tell you.
Just last night, having lovely drinks with lovely friends after a great Improv workshop, my Geek was having his usual geek-off with Michael Legge. They had their backs to me. There was loud music. I couldn’t hear what they were geeking about, but I knew it’d be secret, geeky stuff. I would definitely be behind on the geek front. So when my Geek turned to me and excitedly said “I was just chatting with Michael about the amazing cast-reveal on Fringe!” I was keen to show that I was in. I may not know which comics are DC or Marvel, but I did know this one. So I not only divulged who the reveal was, I even mimed something to be sure Michael would be clear that I knew which actor was in question, and so would he. His face fell. My Geek’s too, and they would probably have killed me if they’d had a light-sabre handy or I’d been standing near an open fire. I deflated. I tried to back-track. He hadn’t seen it. Disaster.
Have you ever tried to back-track a mime? It’s not easy. I’ll go as far as to say it’s impossible. So I have ruined someone’s enjoyment of something and I hate myself for it. I think I’m going to have to go back to the safety of being out of the loop. That, or stay in the loop and just not talk to anyone, ever. I think I know which the public would prefer.
Thank god the workshop went well.
Running the NYC Marathon for the Alzheimer’s Society in just over a week. Please sponsor me here.
