ABCIt's about watching the first scene of the first Andy Griffith, and then the last scene of the last Andy Griffith, and being reassured that nothing ever changed.
It's about watching the first scene of the first Lost, and the last scene of the last Lost, and getting chills all over again, unless, that is, the whole thing makes you very, very angry all over again, which we suppose is an emotion you're free to feel (even if you're wrong).
It's about watching the John Wayne True Grit and the Jeff Bridges True Grit back to back, or in reverse order, or with a dose of Jason of Star Command in between to break up all the cowboy action.
It's about watching all the traditionally important movies in your instant queue. Unless it's about watching none of the traditionally important movies in your instant queue, and checking out the first 15 minutes of Saving Silverman because you can—right now!—and because you feel like it—right now!
Above all, it's about living an approximation of the dream life as promised by that TV commercial from the turn-of-the-21 century, the one with the tumbleweed motel that featured "every movie ever made in any language, anytime, day or night."
Now, of course, Netflix doesn't stream "every movie ever made." It doesn't even stream every movie Howard Stern ever made, and he's only made one. That's why we said its service offers an approximation of the dream life. But still, you have to admit, it's pretty close—pretty, awfully, tantalizingly close. Anytime, day or night, you can watch anything, almost.
We may worry about being exposed to more diversions. We may fret about being held captive by another screen. We may complain, and rightly so, about Netflix's useless database search engine. (For your sanity, please bookmark the indispensable Netflix Instant Watch Tracker.) But we won't give up the dream.
One day, soon, we know Downtown Abbey's going to show up in the Recently Added category, and it's going to wear a banner declaring "New Episodes," and we're going to catch up, or we're going to relive, and we're going to once again know: Netflix streaming, like Mayberry, unchangeable Mayberry, is good.