With the advent of the DVR/PVR, there have been many changes to how entertainment is distributed and consumed. For instance, the entire season of Person of Interest can now be watched in one marathon sitting, though the advertisements need to be watched or skipped. However, this opens up whole new vistas of entertainment possibilities.

A new game I have devised revolves around the ever present Economic Action Plan ads that liberally pepper every episode aired from September until April. (Perhaps they Conservatively pepper the episodes?) One can increase enjoyment of the story, if perhaps decreasing comprehension (the jury is out: many episodes verge on incomprehensible to begin with), by taking a shot of vodka, tequila, baileys, or what-have-you each time a commercial is aired. If the ad in question features references to non-existent jobs grants, take 2 shots. If the ad actually specifies nothing concrete at all, take three. By following these simple rules, I have found it possible to be quite inebriated before Finch and Reese discover whether the target of this week’s episode is a perpetrator or a victim.

And it reduces the amount of screaming when each ad airs.