Hoarders Serves Up a Fresh, Messy Hell

The good people at A&E who already have us addicted to Intervention and Obsessed have recently debuted a new docu-series about a disruptive interpersonal disorder. This time it's Hoarders, each episode offering "a fascinating look inside the lives of two different people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of a personal crisis." It's only been on for a couple weeks now, but we stumbled upon a repeat of the first episode the other night, and whaddya know, both subjects were Washington State residents: Linda from Everett and Steven from Olympia. Get ready to be proud. The episode's description:

Linda's compulsive shopping not only depleted her family's finances but filled every room in their home with piles of bags and boxes. Her husband left her three years ago when he could no longer cope with her hoarding. They are now in the final stages of divorce and Linda must clean out and sell the family home as part of the settlement. Tensions run high as she struggles to let go of her things. Steven is at risk of eviction from his government subsidized housing. His apartment is filled with garbage, human feces, bottles and cans. It's so unpleasant that even he spends his days elsewhere. Steven must clean up or be evicted from his home and end up back on the streets.

Woof. It's no Intervention--because, seriously, nothing can ever match the crazed, destructive, schadenfreudey thing of wonder that is Intervention--but these people are still as much of a mess as their residences. And yet, the series has a gentleness to it that makes these individuals' struggles to deal with their shame and attempt to overcome their dysfunction ultimately uplifting (or depressing, depending on the outcome). New episodes of Hoarders are on A&E Mondays at 10 p.m., or watch the Linda/Steven episode online here.