c/binge-worthy-shows

The time my power went out during the finale of The Wire

I was 3 episodes deep into season 4 and a thunderstorm knocked out the power at my apartment in Austin for 6 hours. Ended up reading the whole plot summary on Wikipedia just to get some closure, has anyone else had a viewing ruined by bad luck like that?

2 comments

thomasshah•1d ago

Just hit episode 247 of One Piece and I'm genuinely surprised I made it this far

Tbh I started watching One Piece back in March just to see what the hype was about. I figured I'd tap out after like 30 episodes because the animation looked old and the story seemed too long. But somehow I'm at episode 247 now and I can't stop. What surprised me is how fast the arcs go by once you get into the world building. Has anyone else had a show where you thought you'd quit early but ended up deep in it?

2 comments

caleb262•2d ago

Binged The Bear in 2 days and it crushed Succession for me

I finally got around to watching The Bear last weekend and I couldn't stop. I burned through both seasons in about 48 hours. I kept seeing people compare it to Succession which I also binged earlier this year. But to me they are not even close to the same level. The Bear has this raw energy that makes you feel like you are right there in that kitchen. The stress is real and the characters actually feel like real people you might know. Succession felt more like watching rich people be miserable in fancy rooms. I know a lot of folks love the Roy family drama but I just couldn't get into it the same way. Has anyone else made the switch and felt The Bear hit harder?

2 comments

bettyfox•2d ago

Debate: Should you binge a whole season in one sitting or spread it out?

I used to crush through shows like Stranger Things in a day, but my friend said I was missing the fun of discussing episodes week by week. Now I pace myself, watching 2 episodes a night, and I feel like I remember the plot better. Do you prefer the full immersion of a binge or the slow burn of spreading it out?

2 comments

mia748•3d ago

Tried starting The Americans on a whim last Tuesday and now I'm 4 seasons in

I just wanted something to fall asleep to but the first episode hooked me bad. The whole spy thing is way more tense than I expected. Has anyone else gotten stuck on a show way longer than they planned?

2 comments

kelly385•3d ago

Blew $200 on that streaming box that promised way too much

Last fall I got hooked by a loud ad for one of those cheap Android streaming boxes... the kind that says it'll play everything in 4K with no buffering. I was tired of my old Fire Stick getting sluggish so I bought it off some random site for like $200 after shipping. First week it worked okay but then it started freezing during any show over 30 minutes. By month two the remote stopped pairing and I had to use a phone app just to turn it on. Customer service never answered my emails and the return policy was buried in tiny print I should've read. Ended up tossing it in a drawer and going back to my old setup which runs fine if a bit slow. Has anyone else fallen for one of those no-name boxes or found one that actually works?

2 comments

rubyk86•4d ago

That 3 episode rule actually killed my interest in a show last night

Honestly, I always heard people say you gotta give a show 3 episodes before you decide. But I tried that with this new sci-fi series on a streaming app last week and it was a total waste of 3 hours. The first episode was slow, the second was confusing, and the third just made me mad with all these random plot holes. I think sometimes a pilot tells you everything you need to know in 20 minutes. Has anyone else found that sticking to the 3 episode rule backfired on them?

3 comments

thomasshah•7d ago

Warning: I binged a whole season before realizing I was watching on 1.5x speed the whole time

I was three episodes into The Night Agent when my spouse walked in and asked why everyone sounded like chipmunks. Turns out my toddler got the remote and cranked the playback speed up. Has anyone else accidentally marathoned a show with the wrong settings and not noticed?

2 comments

jamesm48•8d ago

Started watching 'The Wire' after 15 years of people telling me to, and I get why they waited

I finally gave in last month and started that show everyone my age has been raving about since 2002. Three episodes in and I realized I had to restart it because I missed half the dialogue and plot points the first time. Has anyone else had to rewatch a classic show because you weren't paying close enough attention the first go-round?

2 comments

the_karen•8d ago

The guy at the comic shop who said 'Buffy is just a teen drama' and I nearly lost it

I was grabbing the new issue of Something is Killing the Children at my local shop in Arlington last Saturday. This guy behind me in line sees my stack and goes 'you know that show is just a teen drama for girls, right?' I told him he was dead wrong and that the Cordelia character alone had more depth than half the shows today. He just shrugged and walked out but it stuck with me because how can you write off a whole show like that without watching it? Anyone else have someone dismiss a show you love based on like zero info?

3 comments

jordanc32•10d ago

The way people skip the first 3 episodes of every new show is driving me nuts

My roommate last night started a new Netflix series and skipped straight to episode 4 because she said the setup was boring. I pointed out that episode 2 literally sets up the main character's backstory with her dad and she just shrugged. I think people are so used to fast pacing that they forget shows need time to breathe. Like The Bear would be nothing without those early kitchen meltdowns in season 1. Has anyone else noticed this trend ruining the payoff for later episodes?

2 comments

henderson.wesley•10d ago

Just found out Severance has a hidden clue in every episode opening

I was rewatching Season 1 and noticed the Lumon logo changes slightly in each opener. There's a Reddit thread that breaks down 9 of them and one ties directly to a Season 2 spoiler. Has anyone else caught these?

2 comments

chen.casey•10d ago

Pro tip: Stop skipping the ending credits on prestige dramas

I noticed last month while rewatching 'The Leftovers' that people always jump to skip the credits. But the music and subtle visual details in the outro actually tie the whole episode together. I timed it once and the credits run about 90 seconds max. Has anyone else caught a key clue or emotional beat they missed by clicking 'next episode' too fast?

2 comments

blake691•12d ago

Critic said my outdoor shots were too flat, started using a polarizer

Some guy on a hiking forum told me my landscape photos looked like they were taken through a wet paper towel. Threw a $40 circular polarizer on my lens and the difference in sky and water clarity was night and day. Anyone else have a cheap fix that changed their whole look?

3 comments

derek656•16d ago

Vent: Fell for that 'trapped in a room' hype and blew 6 hours on a show that went nowhere

Started watching 'The Night Of' thinking it'd be a tight murder mystery but by episode 3 they were still dragging out a courtroom scene that could have been 20 minutes, so I checked Reddit and found out the ending is a wet fart, and now I'm stuck asking if anyone else bailed on a hyped show after giving it too much time.

2 comments

ray_hernandez•16d ago

Am I the only one who got burned by that streaming bundle deal?

I signed up for that 3-month promo bundle that promised 4 services for $30 a month, but I got hit with $140 in fees after I tried to cancel at the end. Turns out there was a 12-month contract buried in the fine print that I missed. Has anyone else gotten stuck in one of these bait-and-switch bundles?

3 comments

caleb_ross12•17d ago

Rant: Had to choose between finishing Severance or binging The Bear in one night and I regret my pick

My buddy gave me his Hulu login for a week. I had 2 shows left in Severance season 1 and all of The Bear season 2 sitting there. I picked The Bear because I heard it was short episodes. 8 hours later I was exhausted and stressed out from all the kitchen yelling. Now my login expired and I can't finish Severance until I buy my own subscription. Should have just stuck with one show.

3 comments

willow114•18d ago

Shoutout to the night I binged all 8 seasons of The Office in 3 weeks

I was laid up on my couch in Portland after twisting my ankle on a run last month. Started the show on a Tuesday night and couldn't stop. By week two, I was staying up till 2 AM even though I had work. Finished the whole series last Friday and honestly felt weird saying goodbye to those characters like they were real friends. Has anyone else gotten way too attached to a show during a binge?

2 comments

lilykelly•18d ago

Dropped $40 on a whole series box set and it paid off huge

I was bored last Saturday and impulsively bought the full series of some 90s sci-fi show from a used DVD bin for $40, figured it'd sit on my shelf forever. Turns out it's the most ridiculous, low-budget gem I've ever seen and I binged all 5 seasons in a week. Anyone else ever take a random chance on a cheap set and end up obsessed?

2 comments

robinj29•19d ago

Used to skip the intro on every show, now I let it play every time

After binging Dark on Netflix last year I realized the intro actually sets up the whole mood and now I never skip them on anything. Has anyone else changed their binge habits after one show changed how you watch?

2 comments

daniel_lane30•19d ago

Binged The Wire in 5 days, should have watched The Sopranos first

I had a week off work last month and had to pick between The Wire and The Sopranos for a deep dive. Went with The Wire because everyone says it's peak TV, and it was good but damn it's slow. Now I'm 3 episodes into The Sopranos and it's way more my speed from the jump. Anyone else make the wrong call on which show to start first?

3 comments

hall.nina•22d ago

Unpopular opinion: the slow burn style of shows like Dark used to be my favorite but now I can't stand it

I used to love shows that took 6 episodes to set up the plot, but after binging Succession last month I realized I prefer tight pacing where every scene matters. Has anyone else changed their mind on what makes a show bingeable as you've gotten older?

2 comments

rubyk86•22d ago

Can we talk about show pacing that just kills the binge?

I was three episodes into season 2 of a mystery show last night and nothing had happened yet. Just flashbacks and side characters talking about feelings. I skipped to episode 5 and still no progress on the main plot. Ended up reading a wiki summary instead of watching the rest. Anyone else bail on a show when the filler gets too heavy?

3 comments

robinj29•24d ago

I forced myself to watch a show with bad reviews and actually liked it

Last week I was scrolling through Netflix and kept passing this show called The Imperfects. It has a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes so I never bothered. But I was bored and ran out of stuff to watch so I put on episode one. Honestly I was expecting it to be terrible but I got hooked by the third episode. The acting isn't great and the plot has holes but the characters are really fun. I ended up watching the whole season in two days. I guess sometimes critic scores don't match what regular people enjoy. Has anyone else found a show with bad ratings that they secretly loved?

3 comments

jamie_white•25d ago

Finally tried binging a weekly release show instead of waiting...

I always thought waiting for a full season to drop was the only way to go. For years I'd avoid shows like The Bear and Only Murders in the Building until the whole thing was out. Then last month I gave in and started watching From week by week... and I actually liked it more. Having to wait 7 days made each episode stick with me longer, plus I got to chat about theories online while it was airing. Made me realize I was missing out on that shared experience by holding out. Now I'm curious if anyone else finds weekly shows better for certain genres... or am I just impatient?

3 comments