Remote Destination – How HBO Cost Me $100

Shows

I’m one of those people who doesn’t make a statement unless they’re 99% positive that they can back it up. I’m not going to enter into a discussion unless I feel that I’m well versed enough in the topic at hand. So if I say something, rest assured, I’m sure that it’s true.

Thus as the end of 2007 approached I got into a heated discussion about HBO’s The Wire with a coworker and fellow loyal watcher. My stance was that, like I did with Season Four, she should watch every episode of Season Five, the final season, On Demand a week early. Y’see on Sunday is when new episode aired. But the Monday before, HBO would make the new episode available On Demand.

My former roommate and I had watched every episode of the fourth season days before they aired. And I knew that HBO was doing the same thing with the final season.

But she claimed that at some point during the season HBO would stop putting new episodes On Demand, thus causing a tortuous delay of over a week for the next new episode. We were both certain and bet a $100 on the outcome.

Days past and we got into it again. As proof of her stance she offered up The L Word as evidence. I quickly pointed out that that program was on Showtime. The look on her face was amazing. As the realization of her folly hit her, there was this mix of regret, embarrassment and frustration with a pinch of “d’oh.”

Naturally I didn’t let her hear the end of it. And when HBO started running bumpers at the end of episode declaring that people could catch “the entire final season” On Demand a week early, it made my victory all the better.

But then something happened.

It was a mix of things. Declining ratings (Nielsen doesn’t monitor On Demand viewing, yet) played a part. But then when a certain character met their fate and it was spoiled all over the internet days before the actual episode aired it certainly didn’t help things. Needless to say HBO held the series finale from On Demand until after it actually aired.

I felt like the New England Patriots. I was one away from my ultimate goal when it was snatched from me. I was denied perfection. And I lost $100.

My infinitely gracious coworker agreed to call it a draw, even though she was technically correct. So I didn’t have to pay her. But HBO still cost me $100.