c/binge-worthy-shows

Took me 3 rewatches of The Wire to realize I was skipping the wrong scenes

I kept fast-forwarding through the parts with the newspaper reporters because I thought they were boring side plots. My coworker Steve overheard me complaining about how slow season 5 was and he just stared at me. He said those newspaper scenes are literally the whole point of the show, tying everything together. I felt like an idiot because I had been skipping the main thesis of the entire series for hours. Now I'm going back and watching all the press room stuff and it completely changes how I see McNulty's whole arc. Has anyone else done this with a show, just completely missed the forest for the trees?

My wife told me I kept pausing shows to check my phone and it ruined the vibe for her

She said I was missing all the subtle character stuff by not staying present, so now I leave my phone in the kitchen while we binge anything longer than 30 minutes, has anyone else had a partner call them out like that?

The 3 episode rule saved me from dropping The Wire

I kept hearing how The Wire was the best show ever but the first 2 episodes felt SO slow. I almost quit after episode 1 but my buddy told me to stick with it for exactly 3 episodes before deciding. Hit episode 3 and suddenly the whole thing clicked for me. I binged seasons 2 through 5 in like 10 days after that. Has anyone else used the 3 episode rule to get through a slow start?

My niece corrected me on a plot point in The Wire and it changed how I watch shows now

She pointed out that I kept missing how the camera work tells you who's in power in a scene. I went back and rewatched season 3 paying attention to that and it was like watching a completely different show. Anybody else have a small detail someone pointed out that totally shifted your viewing experience?

Finally crushed my 'one episode per night' rule this week

For the last 6 months I only let myself watch 1 episode of a show per night. Then I started The Americans last Tuesday and suddenly it was 3 AM and I had powered through 8 episodes. The next day at work was brutal but honestly I don't regret it. Has anyone else had a show break their self-control like that?

The wire doesn't deserve the hype it gets

I sat through all 5 seasons because everyone kept saying it was the greatest show ever made. For me it felt like a really long documentary with no payoff. The characters were interesting but the story just meandered around for hours. Am I missing something or does anyone else think it's overrated?

Wasted $60 on a show that got cancelled after one season

I started watching The Bridge on Hulu last month. Got really into it, good mystery drama. Binged all 10 episodes in two nights. Then I looked up season 2 and found out they cancelled it in 2020. No closure, no ending. Just a cliffhanger that will never get resolved. Anyone else get burned by a cancelled show that left you hanging?

Tried watching Dark on Netflix after hearing it was the best sci-fi show ever

I started Dark last week with high hopes because everyone raves about it. But after 5 episodes, I was totally lost with all the time jumps and family trees. I had to stop and look up a guide online just to understand who was who. Has anyone else given up on a highly recommended show because it was too confusing?

Can we talk about how different binging feels now compared to 2019?

Back in 2019 I could sit down and knock out 8 episodes of some show in one night no problem. But last week I tried to do that with a new series on Hulu and I was burnt out after 3 episodes, plus I kept checking my phone every 10 minutes. Has anyone else noticed their attention span giving out on them like that?

PSA: That one Reddit comment about skipping episode recaps saved me 4 hours on 'Lost'

Someone pointed out I was wasting time on 5-minute recaps every episode, and after skipping them I cut my binge from 3 weeks to 2. Anybody else burned by shows that pad the runtime with filler like that?

Appreciation post: That one show I found on a whim last Tuesday

I was scrolling through my streaming app three nights ago and clicked on a random show called "The Lost Cabin" because the thumbnail looked cool. Ended up staying awake until 2 AM watching the first seven episodes because the twists kept hitting back to back. Has anyone else stumbled onto a show that totally wrecked their sleep schedule on a random weeknight?

Spent $30 on a streaming stick and it blew my mind

I always thought smart TVs were good enough for streaming shows. Then my 4 year old Roku TV started buffering every 15 minutes during The Wire. I grabbed a Walmart Onn stick for $30 last weekend. Plugged it in and everything loads instantly now. Anyone else find that a cheap add-on stick fixes years of frustration with built-in TV apps?

Wasted $60 on a streaming bundle for one show I never finished

Signed up for that Paramount+ and Showtime bundle just to watch Yellowjackets season 2. Got 3 episodes in and lost interest completely. Anyone else impulse buy a subscription for a single show and regret it?

Went to that big thrift store chain in Phoenix and nobody organizes shows by season there

I spent 45 minutes digging through a pile of random DVD box sets just to find season 2 of one show and then gave up, has anyone else run into this mess trying to binge on a budget?

Pro tip: don't pay for a fancy streaming subscription just for one show

I spent $15 a month on a streaming service for 6 months just to watch one series. It was a 3 season show and I kept forgetting to cancel after I finished it. By the time I realized, I had paid $90 for something I could have bought on DVD for $30. Now I check if the show is available on my library's free digital service first. Has anyone else fallen for the trap of keeping a subscription way too long?

My brother swore I'd love Black Sails after episode 4. He was dead wrong until episode 7.

Trying to watch 'Dark' without subtitles was a mistake until episode 9

I kept losing track of the German dialog while reading subtitles and was about to give up after episode 4. Then I read a post saying to watch the first 8 episodes with subtitles but turn them off for episode 9 to really feel the twist. It worked way better than I expected and now I'm hooked halfway through season 2. Has anyone else tried watching a foreign show with a different approach like this?

Hot take: "The Wire" is overrated because the audio mix is terrible

I finally binged The Wire last month after everyone told me it was the best show ever, but I spent half the time adjusting the volume because action scenes blasted my ears while dialogue was whisper quiet. My roommate walked in during a key scene and asked why I kept hitting the volume button every 30 seconds. Has anyone else struggled with shows that have bad audio mixing ruining the whole experience?

Went to a small indie film festival last weekend and noticed something strange about the audience

Every single person in the theater was on their phone during the slow scenes even though the director was sitting two rows ahead has anyone else noticed crowds getting worse at low-key screenings?

Unpopular opinion: I actually skip the first 3 episodes of Better Call Saul every rewatch

Everyone says you have to sit through the slow start for the payoff, but I jumped straight to episode 4 last time and I got way more into it without the boring setup. Has anyone else tried skipping the pilot or early episodes of a show you love?

Remember when we had to wait a whole week for the next episode?

I was at my cousin's place last Saturday night and we started talking about how we used to watch Lost back in 2004, gathering around the TV at 9pm sharp every Wednesday. Now I just click 'next episode' at 2am in my pajamas and burn through a whole season in two days. Does anyone else feel like we've lost something special with that waiting and anticipation?

Ditched my usual crime dramas for a slow-burn sci-fi series and it changed my whole binge habit

For the longest time I was all about those fast-paced crime shows like Mindhunter or True Detective. I thought slow episodes were a waste of time. Then about 3 months ago a buddy at work kept pushing me to watch The Expanse. I finally gave in one Saturday and holy cow, I was hooked by the third episode. The world building and character depth made me realize I was missing out by just chasing cliffhangers. Now I actually prefer shows that take their time to build a universe. Has anyone else made a similar jump from one genre to another and found it totally changed how you watch?

Just Visited the Set of 'Stranger Things' in Hawkins and It Blew My Mind

I took a weekend trip to Jackson, Georgia last month to see the actual filming locations for 'Stranger Things' and it was Wild. The town built up this whole Hawkins experience with the Starcourt Mall facade and everything. I stood right where the kids ride their bikes in the opening credits. They even have the actual neon sign from the Palace Arcade. The detail is crazy, like the phone booth where Joyce calls Hopper still has the fake cobwebs on it. I spent like 4 hours just walking around taking pictures. Has anyone else visited a show's filming location and got totally sucked in?

Everyone raves about 'The Office' but I couldn't finish season 2

I kept seeing people call it the greatest show ever so I gave it a real shot last month. I watched 15 episodes from my couch in Phoenix and I just didn't laugh once at Jim's pranks or Michael's awkwardness. The cringe factor was too high for me and it felt more stressful than funny. I finally switched to 'Better Call Saul' instead and that hooked me in 3 episodes flat. Has anyone else felt totally out of step with a show everyone loves?

My friend and I had a huge fight about 'slow burn' shows at a diner in Denver

Honestly, we were at this 24 hour spot after a concert, just talking about what to watch next. I said I was finally getting into Severance, which starts slow. He said, 'Ngl, if a show doesn't hook me in the first 15 minutes, I'm out. I don't have time for that.' Tbh, that really stuck with me. He thinks a binge show needs instant action, but I think the best ones build up. We argued for like 45 minutes over pancakes. Has anyone else had a friend with totally opposite rules for what makes a show bingeable?