c/binge-worthy-shows

14

samward•2d ago

Binged all 5 seasons of The Expanse in 2 weeks and now I don't know what to do with myself

I told myself I'd watch one episode a night, but then it turned into three, then five, then I was waking up at 4 AM to squeeze in one more before work. By the end of season 2 I stopped pretending I had any self control. The problem is now I'm sitting here with nothing that feels worth starting and I've got that empty feeling like when you finish a good book. Has anyone else found a show that actually fills the void after a binge like that or am I just stuck rewatching?

29

the_wade•2d ago

Just realized how much dialogue is in Gilmore Girls

I was looking up random TV stats the other day and found out that Gilmore Girls has about 80,000 words of dialogue per episode. In a standard episode that runs 42 minutes, the characters are basically talking non stop. Compare that to a regular drama which might have like 7,000 words. No wonder my brain feels fried after a few episodes. They never pause to breathe. Has anyone else noticed how fast they talk on rewatches or is it just me?

10

lane.joel•4d ago

Spent 4 hours trying to find a show that me and my wife both liked

I swear it's impossible to agree on anything these days. Last Friday we sat down after dinner ready to binge something good, and 4 hours later we were still scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, and HBO arguing over what to watch. She wanted another true crime doc and I was in the mood for something funny, but apparently that's asking too much lmao. We ended up just watching the first episode of some random anime I picked and she fell asleep 20 minutes in. Has anyone else wasted a whole evening just trying to pick something?

8

lane.joel•4d ago

Used to let my wife pick all our shows, but after she made me sit through 14 episodes of a canceled Netflix drama I started my own queue last month.

Now I do research on cancellation status and episode counts before even hitting play, anyone else gotten burned by trusting someone else's taste?

24

alice808•4d ago

My buddy swore I'd love "Dark" after episode 3, I almost quit 3 times before it clicked

He kept saying just push through the confusion, and around episode 5 it finally clicked into place. Now I'm rewatching it with subtitles instead of dub, has anyone else found that changes the whole show?

1

samward•7d ago

Why does nobody warn you about how slow some shows get after season 3?

I spent 14 hours trying to finish The Expanse because everyone swore it was amazing. Turns out I hated every episode after season 3 and just kept waiting for it to get good again. Anyone else stick with a show way too long hoping it would turn around?

8

fisher.reese•8d ago

Heard someone at the library say they skip the first 3 episodes of every new show

I was at the library downtown last Saturday and overheard this guy telling his friend he skips the first 3 episodes of any series. Said most shows don't find their groove until episode 4 or 5. It blew my mind because I usually give up after 2 episodes if I'm bored. Tried it on that new mystery show on Hulu. Skipped to episode 4 and actually liked it. Anyone else find shows pick up later on?

13

patricia_hayes•8d ago

Had a random lightbulb moment at my friend's house in Nashville last weekend

I was hanging out at my buddy's place in Nashville and noticed he had a whole shelf of these old DVD box sets from shows like "24" and "The Sopranos." He told me he actually prefers watching shows like that instead of streaming because he can't get distracted by his phone between episodes. Has anyone else gone back to physical media for binging or am I just old school?

21

lisa_hill23•10d ago

The 'slow burn' excuse is overused for boring shows

I keep seeing people defend slow paced shows by calling them 'slow burns.' But there's a big difference between a story that builds tension and one that just drags. I made it through 8 episodes of that new Apple series before I realized nothing had actually happened yet. If you need 10 hours before a plot even starts, that's not a slow burn, that's bad pacing. Am I the only one who thinks we need to stop using that term for every show that moves at a crawl?

12

miabennett•10d ago

Binged 'Severance' and 'The Leftovers' back to back - one totally wrecked me more

I watched both shows in about 10 days each after a friend bugged me for months. 'The Leftovers' was good but left me feeling kinda cold and smart. 'Severance' though? That show had me canceling plans to watch one more episode every night. The way they build that office mystery just hits different. Has anyone else found a newer show that totally outshines an older classic like that?

17

fionaw54•11d ago

Warning: Don't watch a show while you're sick on the couch for 3 days straight

I binged all 8 seasons of that medical drama last week while home with the flu, and now I can't look at a hospital gown without feeling like I'm missing a patient crisis. Has anyone else had a show completely ruin a normal activity for them after a marathon?

9

oliverbailey•15d ago

Used to be a Sunday night show only guy, now I finish seasons in 48 hours

I remember when I'd stretch a season of Breaking Bad over 3 months. One episode a night, max. Now I crushed all 8 episodes of that new Netflix crime thing in a single Saturday. My wife walked in at 2am and just shook her head. Something changed around 2020 when I started working from home more. Anyone else lose the patience for slow burns?

22

grant.luna•15d ago

My sister talked me into giving Dark another shot

She caught me scrolling through Netflix and said I quit after episode 3 the first time, which was exactly what happened. She explained how the show is basically one big puzzle where every scene matters later on, even the boring family drama stuff. I gave it another try and yeah, I was totally wrong about it being slow. Now I'm like 8 episodes deep and can barely stop watching. Anyone else have a show they had to restart after someone pushed them?

1

sethtorres•15d ago

My buddy changed my mind on The Office being the peak of comedy

I always told people The Office was the funniest show ever made, no contest. Then my coworker Mike said it's just cringe humor that doesn't hold up after season 5 and most episodes rely on awkward pauses. We spent 45 minutes going back and forth at lunch, and he convinced me to rewatch season 3 with fresh eyes. Now I'm starting to see his point about the later seasons feeling forced. Anyone else find a show they loved falling apart after a rewatch?

15

nora_chen•16d ago

Warning: skipping the first episode of a series is a hot debate in my house now

My sister told me I was ruining shows by always skipping episode 1 because she says it sets up the whole world and you miss key details. I argued back that most pilots are slow and I'd rather just jump into the action, like with Breaking Bad where the first episode is a setup but the real hook comes later. She made a good point though - I tried skipping episode 1 of The Bear and was totally lost on who everyone was and why the kitchen was a mess. But on the flip side, I skipped the first episode of Severance and felt like the mystery hit harder without the office tour. Now we're stuck every time we pick a new show - do you watch the pilot or skip straight to episode 2? Has anyone else had this fight with someone over your binge habits?

27

wendyc53•16d ago

Showerthought: Had a week where I binged 3 shows back to back and 2 of them crashed hard in season 2

Started with The Night Manager which stayed solid all 6 episodes, then jumped into Dark which was amazing for season 1 but lost me halfway through season 2, and finished with The OA which I still can't decide if the ending was brilliant or a mess so what shows have you stuck with through rough seasons and which ones did you drop cold?

22

the_kai•18d ago

Unpopular take: The Wire is way too slow and I don't get the hype

I forced myself through 8 episodes waiting for it to click like everyone said it would, but I realized around episode 5 that I was just zoning out and missing half the plot because nothing actually happens for long stretches.

1

sethb45•20d ago

Binged The Office 3 times before someone told me I was watching it wrong

I always watched The Office on my phone while scrolling through Twitter. After 3 full rewatches, my buddy asked why I kept calling it a background show. He made me sit down on his couch with no phone and actually watch the characters' faces during the awkward pauses. Now I catch so many little looks and reactions I completely missed before. Has anyone else had a "wait, you're supposed to watch it THAT way" moment with a show you thought you knew?

18

betty_barnes•22d ago

Hit 50 episodes of The West Wing this weekend and I'm surprised how fast it went

I started watching The West Wing about 3 weeks ago and somehow I'm already 50 episodes in. That's more than two full seasons and I honestly didn't think I'd stick with a political drama that long. It's the dialogue that keeps me going - those walk and talk scenes are something else. Has anyone else found themselves racing through a show they thought would be a slow burn?

23

miawalker•23d ago

Wasted 14 hours on 'The Empress' and regret every minute

I binged the whole first season of that period drama 'The Empress' thinking it would pick up, but it was just slow scenes and boring politics for 14 hours straight. Lost a whole weekend I'll never get back, and the payoff was basically nothing. Anyone else fall for shows with pretty trailers that turn out to be total snoozefests?

27

lunaw72•23d ago

The stat that blew my mind about The Office

I was just poking around IMDB trivia and found out that Steve Carell only appears in 48 out of 53 episodes of season 1? I always thought he was in every single one. Did anyone else totally miss that fact until way later?

10

noahpark•24d ago

I've noticed people keep calling Severance a slow burn but it's actually more of a puzzle box with a ticking clock

I watched the whole first season in two nights and realized the pacing is actually breakneck once you pick up on the hidden clues about the numbers they're sorting, has anyone else felt like the show is way more action packed than people let on?

19

the_seth•24d ago

I finally watched The Sopranos last month after years of hearing about it

Comparing it to modern shows like Succession, the slower pacing in The Sopranos actually made the characters feel more real and complicated, but has anyone else struggled to get through the dream sequences on a first watch?

9

parkerk56•24d ago

Unpopular opinion on Breaking Bad - it peaks in season 3

Had a talk with my buddy Dave last weekend while we were rewatching the show. He said the moment Walt saves Jesse in the crawl space is where the tension maxes out and after that it gets too cartoonish. At first I argued with him but now I kind of see his point. The later seasons have more explosions and dramatic moments but the quiet tension in season 3 feels more real to me. Anyone else think the show loses something after that point?

15

emma72•24d ago

Unpopular take on The Office - the later seasons are better

I was at a friend's house in Austin last Saturday and everyone was ranting about how the show died after Michael left. I actually think seasons 8 and 9 have more rewatch value because the characters stop being caricatures and actually grow. Am I the only one who prefers the Robert California era?