c/binge-worthy-shows

My dad said he used to watch one episode of a show a week and that was it

My friend insisted I skip the first season of 'The Wire'

He said it was too slow and I should start with season two. I gave it a shot, but I was totally lost on who anyone was or why anything mattered. I went back and watched the first season after all, and it made the whole show click. Has anyone else gotten bad advice about where to start a series?

Just read that the 'Stranger Things' season 4 finale is 2 hours and 30 minutes long

Found that out on a production blog. That's basically a whole movie. Anyone else have a show with a crazy long episode you binged?

Just realized my $15 a month for Apple TV+ is the only streaming cost that actually feels worth it

I dropped Netflix and Hulu because the shows felt like filler, but I kept Apple TV+. For that price, I've binged Severance, Silo, and For All Mankind, and every single one had me hooked from the first episode. The writing is just tighter, and there's no endless scroll through garbage to find something good. Anyone else have a service where you feel like you're actually getting your money's worth for binging?

I gave up on a show after two episodes but my friend made me go back

It was 'Severance' and I found the first hour so slow I almost turned it off. My buddy in Chicago said to push through to episode 3, so I did. By the end of that night I had watched five more because the story just clicked. Has anyone else had a show that started slow but totally hooked you later on?

Remember when you had to wait a whole week for the next episode of your favorite show?

Now my whole family binged the new season of 'Stranger Things' in a single weekend, which honestly feels a bit crazy. Does anyone else miss the old water-cooler talk about weekly cliffhangers?

I used to skip all the recaps on shows but now I watch them every time after getting lost on Westworld season 2.

The show's timeline jumps got so confusing that I started rewinding to the 'previously on' parts, and it made following the plot way easier, so has anyone else changed their viewing habits for a specific show?

My internet went out for a full day right in the middle of a 'Severance' marathon.

It happened on Tuesday, right after the big cliffhanger at the end of episode five. I ended up just staring at my router's blinking red light for a while, then read a book. What's the best show you've had to pause a binge on at the worst possible moment?

My brother-in-law said he fell asleep during the first episode of 'Severance'.

He told me this at a barbecue last weekend. Said he gave up after twenty minutes. I told him to push through to episode three. He texted me yesterday, said he finished the whole season in two days. Anyone have a show that starts slow but gets you hooked like that?

My brother told me to skip the first season of 'The Wire' and I'm glad I finally ignored him.

He said it was 'too slow' and to start with season 2, but after watching the whole thing from the beginning last month, I realized you need those 13 episodes to understand the city and the characters, so has anyone else gotten bad advice about where to start a show?

My entire Netflix binge crashed during the season 2 finale of Dark

I was at my apartment in Chicago, totally hooked on the last episode, when the screen froze and the app just shut down. I tried restarting my laptop three times, but it kept kicking me back to the home screen right at the big reveal. I finally had to clear the app's cache and log back in, which took 20 minutes and totally killed the mood. Has anyone else had a streaming service completely fail at the worst possible moment?

My little cousin asked me what a 'season finale cliffhanger' was

We were talking about the show 'Stranger Things' and I mentioned waiting a whole year for the next season after that big ending. He just looked confused and said, 'Why didn't you just watch the next episode?' It hit me that he's never known a world where you couldn't just binge a whole story at once. I tried to explain the old weekly schedule, but it felt like describing dial-up internet. Made me miss the crazy theories and water-cooler talk we'd have for months. Anyone else feel like that shared weekly hype is totally gone now?

Dropped $15 on a month of that new streaming service for one show and it was a total scam.

I mean, I only signed up for 'Starfall' because the trailer looked amazing, but the whole season was just six boring episodes that went nowhere. Honestly, I feel like I paid to watch a long, bad commercial for season two that might never even happen. Has anyone else been burned by a show that tricked you into subscribing somewhere?

Okay I'm going to say it, I think 'Severance' is way overhyped

I finally gave in and watched it last week after everyone told me it was the best show in years. I watched the whole first season in two days, and I just don't get the crazy love. The idea is cool, but it moves SO slow. I felt like I was waiting for something big to happen for hours, and the payoff felt small. The main character, Mark, just mopes around for most of it. I get that's the point, but it made it hard to care. My friend Dan said I 'didn't get the deeper meaning,' but I think a show needs to be engaging on the surface too. It felt more like a long, artsy movie than a show I wanted to keep watching. Has anyone else finished it and felt let down, or am I totally alone on this?

Tried watching 'The Bear' in one sitting and my brain is still fried

I mean, I binged all of season two in a single Sunday and it felt like I'd worked a double shift at a real kitchen. The constant yelling and stress in episode 7 actually made my heart race. Anyone else have a show that was so intense it felt like a workout?

Just found out the 'Friends' fountain intro took over 100 tries to film

I was watching a behind the scenes thing on YouTube (you know, the kind you fall into at 2 AM). They said they had to do the opening credits bit with the fountain like 102 times because of the water and the timing. That's a whole day just for a 30 second clip! It makes you think about all the weird little things that go into making a show. What's the most surprising 'making of' fact you've heard about a show you love?

Stopped at a coffee shop in Denver and saw their whole staff watching the same show

I was making a delivery near Union Station and popped into a small cafe for a break. Every single person working there had their phones propped up, all playing episodes of 'The Bear'. The manager said they put it on during slow hours to learn about kitchen life, which I thought was pretty smart. It made me wonder what other jobs have a go-to show that everyone in the field watches. Has your workplace ever had a show like that?

I finally gave 'The Bear' a chance after avoiding it for months, and I was completely wrong about it.

My friend keeps skipping the first season of 'The Wire' and it drives me nuts

He says it's too slow and the police station politics are boring, so he starts with season 2. But that's like missing the whole foundation... you don't understand the characters or the city of Baltimore at all. Has anyone else dealt with a friend who skips crucial setup seasons in a show?

My friend swore I should watch 'Severance' in one weekend and she was totally right

Gave 'The Bear' a shot after seeing it everywhere and wow

I finally watched the first episode last night and ended up finishing the whole first season in one sitting, which I never do. The stress in that kitchen is so real it made my own dinner feel like a high-stakes mission lol. Has anyone else gotten totally hooked on a show they thought they'd hate?

Am I the only one who thinks a show's ending can ruin the whole binge?

I just finished binging 'The Last Kingdom' over a long weekend. The show was great for 4 seasons, but the final season felt rushed and the last episode left a major plot thread hanging. My friend argued that the journey is what matters for a binge, not the destination. But for me, a bad ending sours the whole experience, like spending 40 hours on a book with a terrible last chapter. Has anyone else dropped a show's rating because of how it finished?

I used to think 'The Walking Dead' was a must-watch, but season 7 changed my mind

Honestly, the show felt totally different after the first six seasons. The pacing in season 7, especially with that drawn-out Negan intro, just killed the momentum for me. It went from a show I'd watch the night it aired to something I gave up on after about 5 episodes. Has anyone else felt a show completely lost its binge-ability like that?

My partner and I argued for an hour over what to watch next

We finished a long series and hit total decision paralysis. I wanted a new sci-fi show, she wanted a true crime doc. We spent over 60 minutes scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max, reading summaries and watching trailers. It was exhausting. What's a good show that can please both a sci-fi fan and a true crime person?

Okay, I just tried to watch 'The Peripheral' in one sitting and my brain is fried

I mean, the timeline jumps are so dense that after episode 3, I had to pause and draw a diagram on a napkin to keep track. Anyone else need a flowchart for this show, or is it just me?