the_terry nailed it with that "shaky base" thing, that's exactly what it felt like. I did the same thing with a comedy series once, watched like 5 episodes before realizing I was on season 2 the whole time. It actually kinda worked out for me though because I went back and rewatched from the top and the inside jokes hit way harder the second time. Now I always peek at the episode titles and thumbnails first to make sure I'm not jumping in blind. Lowkey embarrassing but better than being lost for weeks.

Ugh, that is brutal but honestly super relatable. Spent three months troubleshooting my development temps, redoing chemistry mixes, even blamed my water quality once. Turns out my flatbed scanner was just crushing the shadows and tinting everything teal. It's crazy how much money and time you can burn chasing the wrong issue. Glad you figured it out though, that must feel like a huge weight lifted. Definitely a lesson in checking every piece of gear before doubting your own process, lol.