c/binge-worthy-shows

26

janaw11•4d ago

Hot take: skipping the filler episodes in a long-running show is better than watching them on principle

I was three seasons into Bleach during a week off from the warehouse and hit that whole Bount arc, so I just skipped ahead to the next canon arc, and honestly the pacing improved so much that I don't get why people insist on suffering through every episode just to say they watched it all.

6

laurar38•5d ago

Tried that 24 hour TV show marathon on Netflix last Saturday

Honestly thought I could binge all 10 episodes of that new crime drama in one sitting. Fell asleep after episode 4 and woke up to the menu screen at 3 AM. Has anyone else had a marathon just totally backfire on them?

-1

alice808•5d ago

Just realized how much Netflix changed after 2021

I started rewatching a show I loved back in 2019 and the whole feel is different now. Back then they'd let a season breathe with like 13 episodes, now everything is 8 episodes max with cliffhangers. I swear they're pushing quantity over quality since they started losing Marvel shows and stuff. Has anyone else noticed older shows hit different compared to the new originals?

4

alice808•7d ago

Why does nobody talk about how hard it is to finish a show with bad pacing?

My buddy Dave quit The Walking Dead halfway through season 7 because he said every episode felt like watching grass grow. I still think about that conversation whenever I hit a slow season in a series, anyone else get stuck on shows that drag too much?

16

kelly.parker•7d ago

Warning: One friend's comment made me stop skipping intro scenes

Ngl, I used to mash that skip intro button on every single show. My friend called me out and said I was missing half the vibe because intros set the tone. I laughed it off until I actually watched the full intro for The Bear and noticed the music changes each season. Has anyone else had a friend's criticism totally change how you watch stuff?

2

robert_craig•8d ago

Can we discuss how Breaking Bad gets better every time you rewatch it?

I started my 4th rewatch of Breaking Bad last Tuesday... and I caught this small detail in season 2 where Walt's lying about his cancer symptoms that I totally missed before. It made me think about how the show's layered writing rewards people who pay close attention. Has anyone else found something new on a rewatch of a favorite series?

10

the_beth•8d ago

That moment I realized old TV shows had 24 episodes a season and now we get 8

I was watching a rerun of Cheers from 1985 last week and it hit me that those 24-episode seasons let characters actually breathe and develop slowly, but today's streaming shows cram everything into 8 episodes and leave me feeling like I barely know the people by the end.

12

aaronf40•9d ago

Had to pick between finishing Ozark or watching a new show and I made the wrong call

I was 3 episodes from the end of Ozark and my buddy was begging me to start Beef with him. Figured I could pause Ozark and come back to it after a quick break. Nope, that was 2 months ago and I still haven't finished Ozark because I got sucked into like 4 other shows after Beef. Has anyone else ruined a finale by jumping ship too early?

22

the_jason•11d ago

PSA: Stop watching 3 shows at once and focus on one

I used to juggle like 4 different series at the same time, thinking I was saving time. Then last month I tried watching just one show - The Expanse season 1 - from start to finish without switching. I finished it in 4 days and actually remembered the plot details. Anyone else find they enjoy shows way more when they stick to one at a time?

12

tylerg30•11d ago

I finally gave 'The Wire' a shot after years of ignoring it

After my coworker in Denver kept pushing it for 6 months, I binged the first season in a weekend and now I get why everyone said it's the gold standard.

24

lilyb27•12d ago

Warning: Skip the first episode of The OA and come back to it later

I kept seeing The OA recommended on here so I finally started it last Tuesday. The first episode was so slow and weird I almost quit after 20 minutes. My roommate told me to just power through to episode 3 and she was right. By episode 5 I was hooked and now I can't stop thinking about it. Has anyone else almost dropped a show because of a bad start?

16

william816•13d ago

Binged 'The Pitt' in one sitting and realized skipping the intro animations saves me 8 minutes per episode

I timed it on my phone and that adds up to over two hours saved across the whole season, anyone else fast-forward through intros or do you actually watch them?

18

johnb95•13d ago

Just finished Dark and I'm confused about the timeline

I binged all 3 seasons of Dark last week with my roommate and we spent 2 hours arguing if the ending actually closes the loop or not. The family tree in season 2 alone made my head spin. Anyone else have a clear explanation for how the last scene works?

8

wren217•15d ago

Question about spending $30 on a random show that went nowhere

I dropped about $30 on a complete series box set of some old sci-fi show called 'Space Rangers' from the 90s. I found it at a thrift store and thought it might be a hidden gem, but man was I wrong. The acting was so wooden I almost fell asleep in the first episode, and the special effects looked like cardboard cutouts on strings. I made it through three episodes before I gave up and put the discs back in the case. Now the box is just sitting on my shelf mocking me for wasting cash on a bad gamble. Has anyone else ever bought a show on a whim that totally burned you? Should I try to resell it or just toss it in the donation pile?

18

lunaw72•15d ago

I was shocked to learn that The Wire only had 60 episodes total

I was browsing Wikipedia last night and saw that The Wire ran for just 5 seasons and 60 episodes. For how much people talk about it as one of the best shows ever made, I assumed it had to be a lot longer. That is less than most modern streaming dramas that drag on for 8 seasons. Kind of makes me respect the writing more for packing so much into a tight run. Has anyone else been surprised by a show that had way fewer episodes than you expected?

9

gibson.seth•16d ago

Hit 200 episodes of Supernatural last night without even planning to

I was just scrolling through Netflix and saw I was on season 10, did the math, and realized I'd watched 200 episodes of this show. It surprised me because I never set out to binge it, just kept putting it on while doing chores around the apartment. Has anyone else accidentally plowed through a huge show like that without intending to?

3

henderson.mason•16d ago

Tried binging Breaking Bad after finishing The Wire and it felt like a completely different planet

I mean don't get me wrong, Breaking Bad is good TV. But I spent 5 weeks on The Wire and every episode had like 15 characters and a city wide story. Then I jump to Breaking Bad and it's basically one guy making decisions in a desert. The pacing felt so much slower even though more stuff explodes. Has anyone else had a show get ruined for them just because they watched something bigger first?

3

patricia42•21d ago

Just realized the difference between my first watch of Breaking Bad and my rewatch 8 years later

First time I binged it I was glued to the screen for the action and suspense, you know? But last month I started it again and I noticed SO many little character moments I totally missed before. Like how Walt's ego shows up in tiny facial expressions way earlier than I remembered. Took me until season 3 on the second go to catch this one look he gives Jesse that basically tells the whole story. Anyone else find a show hits completely different on a rewatch after enough time has passed?

5

the_beth•22d ago

That time a retired TV director told me to skip season 3 of The Wire

I was chatting with this older guy at a coffee shop in Portland, he mentioned he worked on network TV back in the 80s. He insisted I'd love The Wire but should absolutely skip season 3 because it 'loses the thread.' I binged seasons 1 and 2, loved them, then jumped to season 4. Later I went back and watched season 3 and honestly, he was dead wrong. Season 3 is amazing with the whole Hamsterdam storyline - has anyone else gotten bad advice from someone who claimed to be an expert?

0

wren_walker62•22d ago

Finally finished that 10-hour series I started 3 months ago

I was on episode 4 back in March, got distracted by work, and it sat there until last Tuesday. Put the phone in another room and powered through the last 6 episodes in two nights. Anyone else have a show they abandoned and then came back to?

12

kai564•25d ago

I spent $150 on a streaming bundle and it was a total waste

I got talked into a package with three different services for a show that looked good. After the free trial, it cost me about fifty bucks a month for three months. The main show was only eight episodes and the rest of the stuff on those apps was just old movies I didn't want. I could have just rented the whole season for twenty dollars and been done with it. Now I'm stuck paying for junk I never watch. Has anyone else gotten burned by one of these bundle deals just for a single show?

20

kelly.keith•26d ago

My brother kept telling me to skip the first season of Parks and Rec...

He said to start with season 2, because season 1 was just a rough copy of The Office. I finally listened after putting it off for years, and he was totally right. Jumping in at season 2 in Pawnee made the characters click right away, and I finished the whole series in about three weeks. Anyone else have a show where skipping ahead made it way better?

22

richardh44•1mo ago

My sister told me to skip the first season of 'The Expanse' and just read a summary online

She said the show 'didn't get good' until season 2, so I listened and jumped right in. Big mistake. I was totally lost on who Avasarala was, why Mars and Earth hated each other, and what the heck the protomolecule even was. I spent the next three episodes constantly pausing to google basic plot points from season 1. I finally went back and watched the whole first season last weekend, and it's actually fantastic setup. Has anyone else gotten really bad skipping advice that ruined a show for them?

1

victorross•1mo ago

Saw a framed script from the first episode of 'The Wire' at a bar in Baltimore

I was at a place called The Horse You Came In On in Fells Point, and they had it hanging above the dart board. It was the scene where McNulty talks to the judge, with handwritten notes in the margins. Made me want to start the whole series over from season one, episode one. Anyone know of other spots with cool TV memorabilia like that?

28

jennifer358•1mo ago

Pro tip: I watched the whole first season of 'The Bear' in one weekend and my cooking changed for good

Before I saw that show, my kitchen was a mess and I'd just throw stuff together. I'm talking about burnt grilled cheese and sad pasta, you know? But after binging those eight episodes last month, I started treating my home kitchen like their restaurant line. I got a cheap timer, started prepping my veggies first, and kept a towel on my shoulder. The biggest shift was cleaning as I go, which I never did. Now I can make a full meal without a mountain of dishes waiting. It's funny how a show about a chef can make you better at your own dinner. Has anyone else picked up real habits from a TV show like that?