c/binge-worthy-shows

The librarian who told me to stop skipping the opening credits

I was at the public library downtown last Tuesday browsing their DVD section when an older librarian walked up and said I was missing half the story by jumping straight to the episode. She told me that showrunners hide clues and mood setting in those first 90 seconds, and that I should treat them like a chapter intro instead of a commercial. Has anyone else tried watching full credits and actually noticed details they would have missed?

Compared three different crime procedurals to find which one holds up after season 6 and one clearly won.

Rewatched The Closer, NCIS, and Criminal Minds from season 1 side by side last month and The Closer was the only one where the main character didn't get annoying after 4 seasons, anyone else notice that happens with long running shows?

Debate: Are slow-burn dramas like The Leftovers actually better when you binge them instead of waiting week to week?

I was at a coffee shop last weekend and heard two guys arguing about whether shows like The Leftovers or Dark lose their impact when you stream them all at once instead of waiting seven days between episodes. One said the slow pacing lets you soak in the details, while the other claimed the weekly wait built the mystery and community theories. What do you think, does binging hurt a show that relies on dread and suspense, or does it make the payoff hit harder?

A friend told me I binge shows wrong and it stung at first

Last month my buddy said I was 'speedrunning' The Wire because I kept skipping the intro and looking at my phone during slow scenes. He told me to put the phone in another room and actually watch the acting. I tried it with one episode of the new season of Slow Horses and realized I missed half the plot in other shows. Has anyone else had to unlearn bad watching habits to enjoy a series more?

Finally finished that 80 hour documentary series Ive been chipping away at

I was on my couch last night around 11 PM with a cold cup of tea, and the final episode just clicked after I had fallen asleep on episode 6 twice. Has anyone else gotten stuck halfway through a long series and found a way to push through it?

I finally chose between The Wire and The Sopranos

Spent two years bouncing between both shows, never finishing either. Picked The Wire last January and binged all five seasons in three weeks. Anyone else struggle to commit to one long series at a time?

I think I'm the only person who couldn't finish Breaking Bad

Everyone I know says it's the greatest show ever, but I gave up after 3 seasons. I kept waiting for it to click for me, but I just found myself annoyed by all the bad decisions. I hit episode 10 of season 3 and realized I didn't care what happened to anyone. Has anyone else here just not connected with a super popular show like that?

Can you binge a show in one weekend or is that just a waste?

Last month I stayed up until 3am finishing The Legend of Vox Machina season 2 in two days. I felt so accomplished until I realized I barely remembered half the jokes the next morning. My friend says binging fast ruins the experience because you miss little details. But my other friend says that's how shows are made now, for nonstop watching. Which side do you lean on for a show you really like? Does speed help or hurt your memory of what happened?

PSA: That thriller series with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes is a total waste of time

I was talking to my buddy Mark at the gym yesterday and he mentioned he's a script consultant for streaming shows. He straight up told me that many of those high-rated shows on Netflix are rigged by paying for review bots. He pointed to the 97% rated thriller "Shadow Veil" that I just wasted 8 hours on. Has anyone else noticed how fake some of these ratings feel now?

That 4 hour true crime doc I binged last Tuesday completely wrecked my sleep schedule for 3 days straight

I started The Keepers at 9pm thinking I'd watch one episode and somehow it was 3am with me googling old Catholic school yearbooks and what did I get myself into and has anyone else had a show just grab you like that where you can't stop even though you know you've got work tomorrow?

Had to decide between two new shows last night and picked wrong

I was scrolling through my streaming queue around 9pm and got stuck between starting the new season of 'Severance' or finally trying 'Slow Horses'. I went with 'Severance' because the first season blew my mind last year. But man, I forgot how slow the first few episodes are when you're rewatching to remember the plot. I made it through two episodes before I passed out on the couch around 11. Now I'm wondering if I should have just jumped into 'Slow Horses' since everyone says it's easier to binge. Has anyone else made a similar choice and regretted it halfway through the first episode?

Can we talk about why everyone loves 'The Office' so much?

I paid $30 for the complete series on digital sale and felt like I wasted my money after season 3. Am I missing something that makes it binge-worthy for everyone else?

Dropped $60 on a streaming service I barely touch

I signed up for this niche horror streaming service called Shudder last month because I was in the mood for creepy movies. Watched maybe three films in two weeks and then forgot about it until the charge hit my card again. I know it's my own fault for not canceling, but does anyone else have a subscription they keep meaning to ditch but never get around to?

Changed my mind about watching anime after hearing a coworker explain the storytelling in Attack on Titan

He said the show uses the action to build real moral questions about war and loyalty instead of just being flashy fights, and after binging the first season I actually see what he meant now has anyone else had a show flip your opinion on an entire genre?

Just hit episode 500 in my One Piece rewatch and I'm honestly shook

I started this journey back in January thinking I'd burn out after 50 episodes, but here I am 8 months later still going. Has anyone else broken their own personal binge record and surprised themselves?

The 2023 show everyone forgot about vs the 2018 show nobody watched - which is better?

TIL that The Wire only had 60 episodes total across 5 seasons

I was clicking around on Wikipedia the other night looking up old HBO shows and found out The Wire had way fewer episodes than I thought. It only ran 60 episodes from 2002 to 2008, with season 2 being the shortest at 12 episodes. That blew my mind because it feels so much bigger and more detailed than something like Game of Thrones which had 73 episodes in 8 seasons. Has anyone else been surprised by how short a classic show actually was compared to how long it felt?

Warning: That show you love might be getting a reboot you don't want

Last week I found out they're planning a reboot of a show I binged three years ago and I got so nervous about it lol. The original had such a perfect ending that I'm scared they'll mess it up with new seasons or a whole new cast. Has anyone else had their favorite show ruined by a revival or am I just being dramatic?

Took me 5 seasons to realize I was watching The Office on 1.5x speed for no reason

I binged the entire show at 1.5x speed on Netflix for years. Thought it was normal since I do that with most shows to save time. Last week my buddy watched an episode with me and asked why everyone sounded like chipmunks. That's when it hit me. I missed so many jokes and pauses because I was rushing through it. Has anyone else accidentally ruined a comedy by speeding it up without thinking?

Blew through 8 seasons in 2 weeks and changed my mind about a show I hated

I used to be one of those people who swore up and down that The Office was overrated and I couldn't stand the cringe humor. My coworker kept bugging me to give it another shot so I finally sat down and watched the first three episodes. Hated them just like I thought I would. But then I told myself I'd hit episode 10 before making a final call. Something clicked around season 2 when the characters started feeling like actual people instead of just jokes. Before I knew it I was packing lunch just to watch during my break. 8 seasons in 14 days is embarrassing to admit but here we are. Has anyone else done a complete 180 on a show after giving it way more episodes than you normally would?

Overheard my coworker say she binged 'The Americans' in 3 days flat

I was grabbing coffee in the break room last Tuesday when Sarah said she watched all 6 seasons of 'The Americans' over a long weekend. She said she skipped meals and slept 4 hours a night just to finish it. Has anyone else gone that hard on a show and did you regret it or was it worth it?

Tried to binge 'Dark' on Netflix in one weekend, ended up confused for a week

I had last Friday off work and thought I could crush all three seasons of 'Dark' in one go. I started around noon with snacks and a big pot of coffee. By season two I was lost with all the family trees and time jumps. I rewound episodes like five times trying to figure out who was who. Then I fell asleep two episodes before the finale and woke up to a black screen. I had no idea if I actually finished it or not. Has anyone else given up on a show because you just couldn't keep the characters straight?

Took me 3 whole weekends to find a thriller show that actually scared me

I kept starting shows that everyone raved about but nothing hit the spot until I tried Dark on Netflix. Anybody else have trouble finding genuinely creepy shows that aren't just jump scares?

Binged The Wire in 3 days and realized I'd been skipping the best scenes for 15 years

I always fast-forwarded through the courtroom stuff because I thought it was boring filler. Then I actually paid attention last weekend and realized those scenes are where half the story happens.

Found out that Severance cost around $20 million per episode and I had to look it up three times to believe it

Saw the budget breakdown on a production blog last night and it made me think about all those empty hallways and weird office props - guess that stuff isn't cheap to build from scratch, anyone else shocked by what streaming shows actually cost to make?