c/binge-worthy-shows

My buddy swore I had to watch The Expanse from season 1 or it wouldn't make sense

He kept telling me to skip the first few episodes of The Expanse because they're slow, but I started at episode 1 anyway. By episode 4 I was completely lost with the whole Earth-Mars-Belt politics and had to rewatch the first three. Has anyone else found that jumping into shows mid-season actually works better for some series?

My buddy's 3 hour rant about 'The Leftovers' made me realize I was skipping the best episodes

He told me to push through season 1 because seasons 2 and 3 are completely different shows, and after binging the whole thing in a week I gotta ask - did anyone else almost quit too early on a series and miss the good part?

Was totally against watching anime until a coworker made me try Attack on Titan last weekend

I always thought anime was just weird cartoons for kids, but my buddy at work swore I'd like it. He put on the first episode of Attack on Titan and I binged 12 episodes that night. Anyone else have a show that completely flipped your opinion on a whole genre?

My buddy swore marathoning all 7 seasons of The West Wing in 10 days would be amazing, but I burned out by season 4 and barely remember anything that happened after episode 60.

He told me it was the only way to truly appreciate the writing but I just ended up hating the show by the end, has anyone else ruined a series by cramming it too fast?

Unpopular opinion: skip the intro music on streaming shows

I was laid up on my couch in Phoenix last Tuesday with a pulled back muscle, finally starting season 3 of The Expanse. Every episode has that 90 second intro that plays automatically, and by episode 4 I was already reaching for my phone to skip it. After 12 episodes in one sitting, I swear I must have spent nearly 20 minutes just waiting through the same song. Does anyone else fast forward every single time or am I just impatient?

Gave The Bear a shot after ignoring the hype for six months, ended up watching both seasons in four days

My sister kept bugging me about it and I finally caved during a rainy weekend job cancellation, but that kitchen chaos and Richie's arc just clicked for me in a way I didn't expect.

Binged a 12-season reality show in 3 weeks and now I hate my taste

I started watching this home renovation show on a whim last month, and before I knew it, I had crushed 12 seasons in 3 weeks. The first 6 seasons were amazing, but somewhere around season 8, I started noticing the same drama beats repeating. By season 11, I was just hate-watching it, and the finale was so predictable I laughed out loud. The thing that changed was my patience for filler content - I used to love the fluff, now I skip straight to the reveals. Has anyone else binged a show so hard it ruined the whole experience for you?

Binge watched 7 seasons in 2 weeks and regret everything

I plowed through all of The Expanse in 14 days, like 5 hours a night after work. Now I'm sitting here with nothing to watch and my sleep schedule is completely wrecked, has anyone else done this to themselves?

Vent: People keep calling any 6 episode show a 'limited series'

Honestly it bugs me how everyone just throws around the term limited series now. Like I saw someone call The Bear a limited series the other day and that show clearly got renewed for multiple seasons. A real limited series tells a complete story in one run and then ends. Think Band of Brothers or even something like The Night Of from back in 2017. Those were one and done. Now every streaming service just labels anything with 6 episodes as limited to sound fancy. Why do people not bother checking if the show actually wraps up or is just hoping for a season 2?

I wasted 3 hours on a show that got canceled mid-season

Last month I started watching this show called The Hunted on Prime. It had this cool premise about a group of strangers waking up in a forest with no memory. I got super into it, binged like 10 episodes in one weekend. Then I hit the last episode and it ended on a huge cliffhanger. I checked online and found out it got canceled after season 1 with no resolution. So I basically wasted 12 hours of my life for nothing. Has anyone else gotten burned by a show that just stops like that?

Just finished The Bear season 2 in one sitting and my heart is still racing

My coworker swore Severance was just a slow burn and then I hit episode 5

After three hours of nothing happening I nearly quit but that season finale made me sit through 4 more episodes in a row until 3 AM and now I'm obsessed, anyone else come this close to giving up on a show before it got good?

That time a stranger on reddit told me my pacing was way off and it totally changed how I watch shows

I used to always watch shows on 1.5x speed because I thought I was being efficient getting through more episodes. This one guy on the binge worthy shows subreddit told me I was missing all the acting and tension by doing that. At first I got defensive but then I tried watching The Bear at normal speed. It was like a completely different show. The pauses and quiet moments actually hit different when you're not rushing through. Now I only speed up shows that have super slow dialogue like some crime dramas. Anyone else get called out for a watching habit they thought was normal?

Heard someone at the coffee shop say they binged 'Patriot' in one weekend, is that show actually worth my time?

I was waiting for my order and this guy was telling his friend it's the most underrated show on Amazon and that he rewatched it twice which sounds crazy to me but now I'm curious has anyone here seen it and is it really that good?

That backyard barbecue changed how I watch sci-fi series now

I was at a cookout last Saturday when my buddy's dad started talking about how Battlestar Galactica actually works better if you skip half the filler episodes. He pulled out his phone and showed me a list he made of just 18 must-watch episodes from the whole series. Has anyone else ever tried watching a show with a trimmed down watchlist and did it ruin the full experience or make it better?

Rewatched The Wire after 5 years and it's basically a different show now

I first binged The Wire back in 2018 and thought it was just okay, decent cop drama. Last month I gave it another shot and couldn't believe what I missed the first time. The way each season builds on the last with all those small details about the city and the systems was totally lost on me at 24. The difference was that I was paying attention to the street level stuff before and now I see the whole political angle connecting everything. Has anyone else had a totally different experience revisiting a show after a long break?

Tried a 3 episode rule for a new sci fi show and gave up after 10 minutes

Everyone swears you need to give a show 3 episodes before deciding, but I bailed on Stranger Things season 4 after the first scene because the pacing felt like a 4 hour movie. Anyone else think the 3 episode rule is overrated for certain genres?

Passed 40 completed series on my tracker yesterday

I keep a notebook of every show I finish start to finish and I hit 40 last night when I wrapped The Expanse season 6. It made me realize I've spent way more time on TV than I thought, probably close to 600 hours total. What number is your tracker at and did it surprise you too?

I stopped skipping the second episode after a friend called me out on it

My buddy Mike caught me doing this thing where I'd watch the first episode of a show, decide it was okay, then skip to episode 3 or 4. He saw me do it with that new detective show on Hulu and got annoyed. He said I was missing all the setup that makes the payoff work later. At first I thought he was overreacting, but then I tried watching The Bear without skipping anything. The second episode set up so much about the family dynamic that I would have been lost without it. Now I just commit to at least three episodes before I decide to bail. Has anyone else gotten called out for weird watching habits like that?

Found out The Wire only had 13k viewers when it first aired

Was reading an old TV guide article online last night and saw that The Wire averaged like 13,000 viewers in Baltimore when it first dropped in 2002. Now everyone calls it the GOAT. Makes me wonder what other shows we missed out on because nobody was watching at the time.

Rant: The Walking Dead should have ended after season 5

I finally finished the series last week after dragging through seasons 7-11. That dumpster scene with Glenn back in season 6 was the first sign of trouble. By season 8 I was just hate-watching and skipping entire episodes. Has anyone else felt that a show kept going way past its prime?

Found out The Wire only got 46 Emmy nominations total

I was reading a breakdown on Vulture last night about underrated shows and couldn't believe The Wire only got nominated for Emmys 46 times across all five seasons. That's less than some mediocre comedies get in three years. How does a show that's consistently called one of the best ever get so snubbed by awards voters?

Binged Severance in one sitting and now I'm mad at my coworkers for existing

Watched all nine episodes of Severance on a Saturday after my roommate dared me to try one, and now I keep staring at people in the office elevator wondering what their outie is like, anyone else get weirdly paranoid about work after that show?

My buddy hated on *Station Eleven* so hard I gave it another shot

I dropped that show after two episodes last year, thought it was too slow and artsy. Then my friend Dave told me I was missing the point because the whole thing is about how people cope through art after trauma, not about the disaster itself. Anyone else have a show they dismissed and then someone's take made you totally flip on it?

The before-and-after on my favorite show's audio mix is wild

I was rewatching 'The Haunting of Hill House' on Netflix last week after a 2-year break. The first time I watched it on my old TV, the whispers and low talking were fine. But now on my new soundbar, I can suddenly hear every single background noise and it changes the whole vibe. Anyone else notice a huge difference when you upgrade your sound system on a show you thought you knew?