c/binge-worthy-shows

The night I realized I was watching shows on 1.5x speed for no reason

I was 3 episodes into a new drama that everyone raves about and I couldn't remember a single character's name. My partner asked me what happened and I just drew a blank. Then I noticed I had the playback speed cranked to 1.5x out of habit from binging boring stuff. Has anyone else accidentally ruined a good show by rushing through it without noticing?

My buddy Dave said he watches The Bear like it's a horror movie and now I can't unsee it

PSA: That librarian who recommended an old show changed my whole week

I was grabbing a stack of books last Tuesday at the downtown library and this older lady behind the counter saw me looking at the DVD section. She walked over and said I need to watch this show called Detectorists because it was slow and quiet but full of heart. I almost laughed because the cover looked boring with two guys holding metal detectors in a field. But she was so genuine about it that I checked out the first season on a whim. I stayed up way too late that night watching all 6 episodes and texting my friend about how cozy it felt. Have you ever had a stranger just nail a recommendation that totally changed your evening plans?

Hit episode 50 of my comfort show streak without even noticing

I was scrolling through my watch history last night and realized I've watched 50 episodes of The Office (US version) in the last 3 weeks. It's just been my background noise while I do laundry and cook dinner, but seeing that number surprised me. Anyone else have a show that sneaks up on you like that?

Spent $80 on a streaming subscription I never used for 3 months

I signed up for that new streaming service that had the crime drama everyone was talking about. Paid $16 a month for three months straight without watching a single episode. Work got busy and I just kept putting it off. Finally canceled it yesterday after realizing I wasted $48 on nothing. Has anyone else done this with a show you were hyped about but never actually started?

My buddy swore I had to watch The Expanse starting from season 2

He said season 1 was too slow and I'd quit if I started there. I listened to him and skipped right to season 2. I got about 5 episodes in and had no clue what was going on with the plot or the characters. Went back and watched season 1 and it all made sense. Has anyone else been given bad advice on where to start a show that actually ruined the experience?

Switched my opinion on rewatching old shows after The Wire

Honestly I always thought rewatching a show was a waste of time when there's so much new stuff out there. But last month I gave The Wire another shot and caught about 15 details I totally missed the first time around. Has anyone else had a show hit completely different on a second watch?

Appreciation post for the coffee shop scene in "Patriot"

I finally watched Patriot on Amazon last week and I can't stop thinking about that coffee shop where the main character keeps having these awkward, tense conversations. I mean, the way they film it with all those weird angles and the barista just standing there... it's such a specific vibe. It actually made me look up if it was a real place in Milwaukee or something. Has anyone else binged this show and gotten obsessed with a random setting like that?

Question about watching 'The Americans' with the wrong expectations

I kept seeing 'The Americans' on every best show list and finally started it last month. For the first 8 episodes I was waiting for big spy action scenes and car chases. Turns out it's way more about family drama and marriage problems. My buddy asked why I looked bored and I told him I wanted more shooting. He laughed and said I was watching it like it was 24. Once I shifted my focus to the relationship between the two leads it clicked way better. Did anyone else go into a slow burn show expecting something faster? I was 8 episodes in before I got the point.

My buddy finally convinced me to give 'Dark' a second chance

I watched the first episode of Dark about 6 months ago and I couldn't keep track of all the characters... I gave up on it. Then my buddy Mike told me to watch it with a family tree open on my phone, and he said 'just trust the show for 3 episodes.' I tried it last weekend and after episode 3 the whole thing clicked. Have any of you had to use a notes app just to follow a show?

My buddy swore I had to watch The Wire and I put it off for years

A guy I worked with on a roofing crew back in 2017 kept telling me The Wire was the best show ever made. I finally started it last month after he passed away, and he was absolutely right. The way it shows Baltimore from every angle, the cops, the dealers, the politicians, it's like nothing else I've seen. I finished all five seasons in three weeks. Has anyone else had a friend nag them about a show that turned out to be a masterpiece?

Just hit 100 episodes of The Office for the third time

I realized last night I've watched The Office through twice and I'm now on season 4 of my third run. That's over 100 episodes each time, so around 300 total. My wife caught me laughing at the fire drill episode and I had to admit I knew every line coming. Anybody else lose count of how many times they've rewatched a comfort show?

PSA: skipping the intro on Dark really messes up the vibe

I skipped the first 30 seconds of each episode for three episodes and totally lost track of the timeline jumps. Anyone else find the intro music actually helps you follow the show?

Bought a used TV antenna for $30 and now I watch OTA shows like it's 1995

Picked up a cheap indoor antenna off Facebook Marketplace and suddenly I'm catching old sitcoms and local news without paying for cable. Anyone else ditch streaming for free broadcast stuff?

Debate: Is it better to binge a show weekly or wait and watch it all at once?

Last month I finally caved and watched a series my friend has been raving about for 3 years. I did the whole thing in 2 weekends, but I felt like I missed half the details because I was rushing through. Meanwhile my coworker watched the same show one episode a week and swears she got way more out of it. I get that waiting lets you sit with things, but honestly nothing beats the momentum of just clicking 'next episode.' Has anyone else felt like the way you watch changes how good the show actually is? Which camp are you in?

My coworker told me to skip the first 3 episodes of Dark and I almost quit the show

My buddy Mark kept saying the first episodes of Dark are confusing and boring, just push through to episode 4. I tried it and ended up totally lost on who was who. Went back and watched from the start and it all clicked. Has anyone else gotten bad advice about skipping parts of a show?

Binged all of Severance in one weekend and realized I was missing a key plot point

Rewatched episode 5 after someone on Reddit pointed out the hallway paintings change each time and I had completely glossed over that detail both times before. Has anyone else had a show moment where one tiny background thing changed the whole story for you?

Never knew show openers could be that long til I timed one

I always thought cold opens were just like a quick thing to set the mood. Then I was watching Severance last night and my phone timer went off at 8 minutes. 8 minutes just for the intro before the title card. That's almost a whole sitcom episode right there. Now I'm going back and counting all my favorite shows. Has anyone else noticed some shows really stretch that cold open?

My brother made me watch Schitt's Creek backwards and it broke my brain

So my little brother comes over last Friday night with a six pack and says we should binge Schitt's Creek. But he insists we start with season 6 and go backwards each episode. I laughed at him but he was dead serious. He said it would turn the show into a tragedy about a rich family losing their memories instead of a comedy about poor people getting better. And you know what, he was kind of right. Watching David go from confident businessman back to anxious mess was actually wild. By the time we got to the pilot everyone seemed like sad, broken versions of themselves. Has anyone else tried watching a show in reverse order like that? I feel like my whole brain got rewired.

Chat with a bartender in Austin changed how I watch crime docs

I was grabbing a beer last Friday and this guy next to me starts talking about Forensics Files. He said he worked as a crime scene photographer for 12 years. Told me most TV shows get the timeline totally wrong. Real evidence takes weeks not 45 minutes with commercial breaks. Been binging Cold Case Files since that convo and I notice the gaps now. The real cases move so much slower. Has anyone else had a pro ruin a show for them with real world details?

Just realized I've been watching shows wrong my whole life

So I'm 32 and I just figured out last week that I've been binge watching TV shows completely backwards. I always thought you had to watch every single episode from season 1 episode 1 straight through to the end. But my buddy at work told me he skips whole episodes if they look boring and sometimes watches seasons out of order if the later ones are better reviewed. At first I thought he was crazy but then I tried it with a show I'd been struggling to get through and it actually worked. I skipped like 4 episodes of a slow season and suddenly the show was way more fun. Now I'm wondering how many other shows I gave up on just because I was too stubborn to skip a bad episode. Has anyone else tried this method or am I still doing it wrong?

Hit 47 episodes in three days. Not proud.

Started Dark last Friday. Figured I'd watch a couple episodes. Then it was 3am and I was on episode 12. By Sunday night I had binged all 47 episodes of the first two seasons. The time travel plot got me. I couldn't stop trying to figure out the family tree. Has anyone else lost a whole weekend to this show?

My daughter called me out for always watching the same 3 shows

Last Christmas my 24 year old daughter visited and caught me rewatching The Office for the fifth time. She said dad there's a whole world of TV out there and you keep watching the same jokes. So I asked her for a recommendation and she handed me a list of 5 shows she thought I'd like. One of them was The Expanse which I never would have tried on my own but now I'm three seasons in and hooked. Anyone else ever get stuck in a rerut loop and need someone to push them out of it?

Took me four nights to finish The Americans... still not sure it was worth it

I started watching The Americans last week because everyone keeps saying it's one of the best shows ever. Figured I'd knock out a few episodes each night, easy. But man... the pacing is so slow in the first season I kept falling asleep around episode 3. I had to rewatch episodes 4 and 5 twice because I missed half the plot. By the time I got to season 2 I was hooked but then the twists just kept coming every episode. Ended up staying up until 2am three nights in a row to get through the final season. So a show I planned to watch over two weeks took me four nights total. Has anyone else struggled to get through a critically acclaimed show that just didn't click right away?

Started a new show at 8pm last night and didn't stop until 3am - hit episode 11 and realized it was the finale

I was so into this British crime drama that I accidentally binged the entire first season in one sitting. Has anyone else lost track of time like that and missed a whole night of sleep without noticing?