There are many tests of trust in any couple’s relationship:  trusting someone with your apartment key…trusting them to drive your car…trusting your pet’s life in their hands….and most importantly, trusting them with your Netflix password.

I stumbled across the story from the Washington Post today that really struck a chord with me.  As someone who reviews DVDs, I have to get my requests (whether it be from Blockbuster or Netflix) in a timely fashion.  So I’m constantly tweaking my request ‘queue’ to make sure that things arrive in order.  But I’ve often wondered—does that make me the dominator of my household queue?  Do I pay enough attention to my husband’s film interests?  Should he understand why 99% of the DVDs mailed are for me?  For every 3 movies I receive, should specifically set aside 1/3 for him?

Luckily I know my husband and I have a great movie relationship.  We have very similar tastes so it’s very rare when I watch things while he is away at work.  But I do recall a time when I sat alone with my box of Kleenex watching The Notebook.  Only later did my husband admit that he would have liked to see the movie with me.  Who knew?  I honestly thought I was doing him a favor by saving him my tears.

For those of you who have not yet opted for a Netflix ‘divorce’ and built separate queues, here are list of questions to ask yourself.  I think it’s safe to say that any 4 yes answers could prove that you might be suffering from Online Movie Ordering Incompatability:

1) Do you immediately rip the seal on the red mailer as soon as you get it out of the mailbox?
2) Do you rush to the mailbox so you can be the first to see said envelope?
3) Have you come home and felt a wave of jealousy after seeing an envelope opened?
4) Have you ever secretly rearranged the queue behind your partner’s back or deleted a movie altogether?
5) Are you constantly paranoid and checking to see if anything in the queue has been moved?
6) Have you ever watched a movie without your partner knowing and a) later watched it a 2nd time pretending it was your first or b) returned the movie before they even knew it came in?
7) Have you felt like you’re being held back in life because your partner doesn’t watch movies at the same pace as you?
8) Have you ever felt neglected/left out/less important because your partner chooses to watch the DVDs without you?
9) Do you like to go down the queue in an orderly fashion but your partner prefers to watch movies in random order?
10) Do you recall being treated to a movie and dinner after Netflix was introduced?