c/binge-worthy-shows

Warning: Binging The Walking Dead made me forget how to talk to people

I used to breeze through a season of a show in one weekend, no problem. Then I started The Walking Dead last month and got completely hooked. I spent like 12 hours on a Saturday watching episodes, barely moving from the couch. Next day I went to grab coffee and my friend asked how my weekend was. I just stared at her and grunted like a zombie for a solid 5 seconds before snapping out of it. She thought I was messing around but I honestly felt like my brain had turned to mush from all that survival drama. Now I have to force myself to watch just 2 episodes a night or I lose all sense of reality. Has anyone else had a show mess with their head like that?

My buddy kept insisting I watch Dark on Netflix, told me I had to stick with it past episode 3. I almost quit after the first one but he was right, it ended up being one of the best shows I've seen all year. Has anyone else had a friend force them through a slow start that paid off big time?

Appreciation post: the person who told me to skip season 3 of that one crime drama

I was three episodes into season 3 of "Criminal Minds: Reloaded" and hating every minute. My buddy Dave said "just skip to season 4, the showrunner changed and it gets way better." I ignored him for a week, then finally gave in. Season 4 was a totally different show with tighter stories and less drama between characters. Has anyone else had a friend save them from a slog by telling them what to skip?

Went with Silo instead of Dark last week and it changed my whole binge

I had to pick between finishing Silo season 2 or starting Dark like everyone keeps telling me. Went with Silo because I was already hooked on the mystery of that underground world. Binge watched 6 episodes in one night and still couldn't stop. Anybody else get stuck on one show and ditch the popular recs?

Had a chat with my buddy last night and now I'm rethinking how I watch shows

He told me he watches every episode of a series twice before moving on, and that hit different because I realized I've been missing half the details in shows like The Bear just zooming through them.

That time a coworker told me to skip the first 3 episodes of a show and it changed everything

I was struggling to get into The Americans and kept dropping it after episode 2. My coworker Jen said "just start at episode 4, the pilot is slow and episode 3 is filler." I was skeptical but tried it and suddenly I was hooked immediately. Now I always check episode guides before starting a new series. Has anyone else jumped ahead in a show based on advice like that?

Had to pick between The Wire and The Sopranos for my next binge

Finished my last show on Friday and stared at my watchlist for an hour. Ended up going with The Wire because my coworker said it's the best TV ever made. Three episodes in and I'm already lost in the street politics and the way they write the cops. The Sopranos has been on my list for years too, so I'm wondering if I should've started there first. Has anyone else struggled with this choice or am I overthinking it?

Had to decide between The Wire and The Sopranos for my next binge

So last month I finally finished all 5 seasons of Breaking Bad and didn't know what to watch next. My buddy kept saying The Sopranos is the greatest show ever made, but my coworker swore The Wire changed how he sees the world. I ended up picking The Wire because I liked the idea of a show about the whole city instead of just one family. Man, the first season was a little slow at first but by episode 4 I was completely hooked. The way they show both the cops and the dealers side of things is just so real feeling. Now I'm halfway through season 3 and I can't stop thinking about it. Has anyone else had a hard time choosing between these two classics?

Heads up - that 'documentary' about the Amazon tribes on Netflix is pure fiction

I binged it last Wednesday after seeing it trending, then did some digging and found out the whole thing was staged with actors from a village 200 miles away, even the survival scenes. Has anyone else caught this mess or am I the only one who got fooled?

Binge watching used to be my weekend jam, now it's just background noise

I used to sit down Friday night with a bag of chips and actually pay attention to every episode of a show like Breaking Bad or The Office. But around 2 years ago I started just scrolling my phone while the TV played. Now I put on something like Stranger Things and I realize I missed half the plot because I was on Twitter or checking email. It's like my brain can't just focus on one thing anymore. I tried turning my phone off last week and it felt weird, like I was missing something. Has anyone else felt like their attention span got wrecked by multitasking during shows?

My buddy swore I had to watch The Wire season 3 first, said it was the best starting point

I listened to him and started with season 3, and I was totally lost with all the characters and storylines. After 4 episodes I quit, then later started from season 1 and it all made sense. Has anyone else gotten bad advice on where to start a long series?

Went to the filming locations in Albuquerque and it was wild

I finally took a trip to Albuquerque last month and walked around all the Breaking Bad spots. Everything looks way smaller in person, like Walt's house barely fits on that street. Has anyone else visited a show's real location and been shocked by how different it feels?

My brother told me to skip the first season of The Office and I'm still mad about it

My brother Tom kept insisting I should just start The Office from season 2 because season 1 is 'too cringey.' I finally listened after my third try and skipped ahead. Turns out I missed like 6 episodes of character setup and had no idea why Michael was such a mess in season 2! Now I have to go back and rewatch everything because I feel like I cheated myself out of the full experience. Has anyone else been given terrible skipping advice for a show?

Downloading the first 3 episodes before a flight saved my sanity

Had a 6 hour flight to Phoenix last month and figured I'd catch up on that new crime drama everyone's talking about. Problem was the plane wifi is trash and costs like $25. So I downloaded the first 3 episodes at home on my tablet before I left. Watched all of them on the plane without buffering or paying a dime. Now I do this for every trip longer than 2 hours. Anyone else have a go to show they save for flights?

Had to choose between watching The Wire and Breaking Bad first

I finally had a week off in January and wanted to start a new long show. My buddy kept telling me The Wire was the greatest thing ever, but my sister swore Breaking Bad was the one. I went with Breaking Bad first because she said it hooks you faster, and she was right. I burned through the first 3 seasons in like 10 days, couldn't stop. Just finished the whole thing last week and now I'm worried The Wire will feel too slow after that. Anyone else have a similar toss-up that worked out or totally backfired?

I tried watching a 90s show my coworker raved about and it felt slower than I expected

Last weekend I finally sat down to watch that show my guy Mark has been pushing for months. It's a crime drama from the mid 90s that everyone says is a classic. But I got through three episodes and I kept checking my phone. The pacing was just really slow compared to what I'm used to now. Each scene would drag on for minutes without much happening. I figured maybe I'm just spoiled by modern shows that cut to the point faster. Has anyone else gone back to an old favorite and found it hard to get through?

TIL the first episode of a show doesnt always hook you

I almost quit The Leftovers after 3 episodes cause it was so slow and confusing. But my buddy swore it gets insane by episode 6, so I stuck with it and yeah, that twist in season 1 totally changed everything for me. Has anyone else given up on a show too early and regretted it later?

Bought a $20 streaming stick and it saved my weekend road trip

I grabbed a cheap Roku stick for my hotel TV last month and it turned a boring room into a mini movie marathon setup. The remote didn't even pair right at first, but after 10 minutes of fiddling it worked fine. Anybody else ever toss money at a gadget that just barely works but totally pays off in the end?

Binged 8 episodes of a show and realized I wasted 6 hours

I spent last Saturday glued to a Netflix series that had great reviews, but by episode 8 I realized nothing had happened and the plot was going nowhere. Lost a whole Saturday afternoon and felt super annoyed at myself for not checking out sooner. Anyone else fall for a show with a good trailer but zero payoff?

Overheard someone at a coffee shop raving about Dark and now I'm 8 episodes in

I was grabbing a latte last Tuesday and this guy at the next table was telling his friend that Dark was the only show that made him rewatch episodes immediately after finishing them. I'd heard of it before but never gave it a shot, so I figured why not. Eight episodes later and I'm completely hooked on the family tree stuff and time travel loops. It's a lot to keep track of with all the characters at different ages though. Has anyone else had to pause and look up a guide just to figure out who's who?

Finally binged through all of The Terror in 3 days flat

I used to watch new shows one episode a week, taking it slow with breaks in between. But last weekend I caught a cold and just clicked play on episode 1 of The Terror season 1 around 2pm Friday. By Sunday night I had finished all 10 episodes, barely stopping for food or sleep. The way the tension builds with the ships stuck in the ice just hooked me completely. Has anyone else had a show grab them like that where you physically could not stop pushing play?

That weekend I flew through all 6 seasons of The Expanse

Last month I had a nasty cold and couldn't move from the couch for a whole Saturday and Sunday. My buddy kept telling me to watch The Expanse for like a year and I finally caved. I started on a Saturday morning and by Sunday night I had finished season 2 and started season 3. The world building is just INSANE with all the politics between Earth, Mars, and the Belt. I loved how they handle space physics like gravity and air, it felt so real compared to other sci-fi. By Tuesday I had called in sick to finish seasons 4 through 6 because I couldn't stop. Has anyone else gotten completely wrecked by a show like this where you just lose a whole week of your life?

Spent 9 hours tracking down a 5-minute plot hole in Dark

Ngl, I was super into Dark on Netflix but something about the 1986 timeline wasn't adding up for me. I paused the show at like episode 5 and went down a rabbit hole of fan wikis and episode recaps to figure out if I missed a scene. Turns out the issue was just a single line of dialogue early on that I zoned out during. Has anyone else ever wasted an entire evening re-analyzing a show just because you thought something was off?

I finally get why people rave about Dark now

My buddy Mike kept telling me to watch Dark on Netflix for like a year and I kept brushing it off because German subtitles sounded like homework. Then I gave it 3 episodes last Sunday and realized I was a complete idiot - the casting across timelines is insane and now I'm 8 episodes deep. Has anyone else been this stubborn about a show and then had to eat their words?

I used to skip the 'Previously On' recaps for The Bear, but now I always watch them

Honestly, I used to think they were just filler and would skip straight to the new episode. But after getting confused about a major plot point in season 2, I went back and watched the recap for that episode. It actually highlighted specific, tense moments from past episodes that directly set up the new conflict. Now I watch the 90-second recap every time and it makes the show way more intense. Does anyone else have a show where the recap is actually essential?