Yes! I was just talking about this! There was a marathon on Monday, I watched it for three hours. I like Hoarders even better than Obsessed, because it's more reliably jaw-dropping, and you get the payoff of seeing their lives drastically bettered by the end of the episode.

Jake's story was the only one to make me tear up. Definitely the best episode.

I felt so bad for them!
*Spoilers*
It was so sad to see the pain on Shirley's face as she realized her cats had to go- all of them. The worst part was learning that so many of them were sick and had to die, how gut wrenching. Her husband seemed to be quite a bit happier, and I think that he might try to keep things tidy around the home. He was pretty into the prospect of cleaning up and removing all of the pets.
Jake's story was just as bittersweet. YOU could totally see where his hoarding comes from, He also seemed pretty bi-polar/manic. Its sad, you could tell in the interviews that his dad really loves Jake, but his dad needs serious help, probably more than Jake. The kid should move in with his boyfriend or his mom. The dynamic between father and son was horrible to watch, personally.

Also wanted to add about Jake- at least he really seemed treatable. He was crying for help and obviously does not want to die, or else he would not be reaching out for help. Since he is young and seemed to be cognizant of his issues, he has the strength to heal. Hopefully his mom and lover can come together for him to get him the treatment his needs.

Jake and Shirley's episode was by far the best. The only character that made me teary-eyed was Linda, in the very first episode. Her situation was just so sad, even though Steven's story made me want to hit the television. And, Linda had a hot son for whom I felt so much sympathy.

Linda's son, if you're reading this, call me!

Jill evoked pain. The not-frozen-food episode. GAHHHH. That one had me covering my eyes.

Jake's was filled with hope, but I also couldn't help but see so many young gay drama queen issues at hand. His constant threatening of suicide was so "Cry for Help" that I could only picture the suicide attempt in The Rules of Attraction every time he threatened it. Not to mention his older boyfriend who looked so helpless and was probably one of those insecure gay men who find security in having younger guys want them. He needed more self-security to withstand Jake's issues.

Shirley was psychotically sweet. I want to know how they could stand the smell. Cat waste is so awful smelling. And rotting corpses? They just didn't notice it. That one was sad because their world had gotten so small they didn't remember what life used to be like.

Sorry. Too gross. BBC has these two old ladies going to people's filty, cluttered homes and picking things up and smelling them. Ew! I have to change the channel.

If you get BBC America, check out How Clean is Your House? Two ridiculously British women clean filthy filthy houses from top to bottom. I love it when they test for bacteria and stuff. This was the first show to make me excited to tidy up my house. Excited in a completely terrified way...

I have seen one episode. Couldn't take my eyes off it, but finished with zero insight into what makes these people tick.

Also the psychologist lecturing the food-hoarding lady about her irrational attitudes had beliefs about food safety, preservation, shelf dates, etc., that were every bit as irrational.

i was once married to one of these. have no interest in revisiting the nightmare. he was fixated on something he called 'retrotech'. that's right--large clunky metal objects with embedded old dirt and grease in and on them. good times.

I hoard books. Mrs. Fnarf thinks I need an intervention (or at least a clout with a cast-iron frying pan).

David Bloom! Tell me more: schmader@thestranger.com.

Whoops, comment 12 was from me, not the SECB.

@12/13, I noticed that Linda was in Everett, and Steven was in Olympia.

I noticed Linda's son is somewhere near there Everett too.

:-D

This might be the best TV show ever. I was so glad I have it in HD for the food hoarder lady. This show needs to have a smell'o'vision scratch and sniff special.

Jake's father was so codependent. It really seemed like he couldn't deal with Jake cleaning up his act and moving on, because then he'd be leaving his dad behind. I know he was drunk when he tried to chase the therapist off, but it was still kind of sickening.

I love this show! My sometimes messy house feels like the cleanest, most sparse, sparkling clean haven of anti-bacterial nirvana after I watch Hoarders. Even that one chair with enough cat hair to make a new cat is practically sterile looking to me now.

I came so very close to being one of these people, once. I had a dog, three cats, a rabbit, seven birds, three frogs, two salamanders, two toads, and only god knows how many feeder mice, crickets, mealworms, etc., in a tiny single-wide mobile home. All I ever did was clean and feed, feed and clean. And bury corpses. I know now that it was severe suicidal depression causing it - my subconscious found a way to force me to stay alive. I couldn't off myself with all those critters depending on me.

So terrifying. My great-grandma was (paths through the house, I would get lost/stuck as a child) and it's progressively better, but still there through each generation. Usually a visit to my grandparents is enough to make me spend a few hours cleaning my house, getting rid of stuff.

I'm restoring a house where some family lived since 1937 an left everything. Over 500 egg cartons. Junk piled up to year knees in almost all rooms. Five beds. Literally 40 trash bags of clothes and I am still not done. I have probably spent 200 hours cleaning. How, or why anyone could justify living like that is beyond me!

@21: I think a key difference is you actually cleaned. And you buried the corpses.

Glad you made it through.