Vent: Tried doing a rewatch of my favorite 90s show and it just felt flat

I finally sat down last week to watch all of Xena: Warrior Princess again, which I loved as a kid. Got through maybe 8 episodes before I realized the cheesy effects and slow pacing just don't hit the same now. I work in a tiny electrical shop all day, so I was hoping for a comfort escape, but it just felt like a chore. Has anyone else gone back to an old favorite and had it totally flop on you?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonp474d ago

Used to be one of those people who'd defend old shows to the death, saying the classics hold up no matter what. Then I tried to rewatch Buffy and got maybe three episodes in before I had to tap out. The monster of the week stuff felt so slow and the dialogue just dragged in a way I never noticed back then. Thought it was just me getting older and grumpier, but hearing you say the same thing about Xena makes me think our brains just rewired themselves or something. The cheesy effects I can laugh at, but the pacing killed it for me.

rose_cooper4d ago

Honestly tried the same trick with old Doctor Who seasons. What worked for me was skipping the monster of the week episodes entirely and just watching the two parters or the season finales. The slow pacing is real, especially when they had to stretch a simple ghost story across 45 minutes. Once I let go of needing to watch every single episode in order, it felt way more fun. Also, watching them with a friend who makes jokes about the bad effects helps a ton. Makes the cheesy stuff feel intentional instead of like a mistake.