c/binge-worthy-shows

Finished a 40 episode series in 3 days and I feel weird about it

I started watching "The Lost Mines" on a Thursday night thinking I'd watch one episode. By Sunday morning I had binged the whole thing and my sleep schedule was Trashed. I learned that I really can't handle slow burn shows because I just want to know what happens next. Has anyone else accidentally ruined their weekend this way?

TIL my local library has a streaming service for shows

I went to the public library in Portland last week to return some books and noticed they had a sign about Kanopy, which lets you stream movies and shows for free with a library card. I signed up on the spot and binged a whole documentary series about ancient Rome over the weekend. Has anyone else tried their library's streaming options or found any hidden gems on there?

Binged The Wire in 10 days flat

I hit episode 42 of The Wire last Tuesday and realized I had watched 5 seasons in under two weeks. That show has more layers than I expected for a cop drama from 2002. Anyone else power through a long series faster than they planned?

Took me 3 rewatches to catch the clue in episode 5 of Dark Matter

Honestly, I was so confused after finishing Dark Matter on Apple TV that I went back to episode 1. The third time through, I finally noticed the coffee cup placement in Jason's kitchen scene around minute 22 of episode 5. That single detail flagged which timeline he was actually in the whole time, and it totally reframed the ending for me. I spent like 4 extra hours on this show because I missed a stupid coffee cup, but now I feel like a detective. Has anyone else gone back to rewatch a show just to track one specific object? It makes me wonder how many other clues I'm missing in my first watches.

Shoutout to that show I almost skipped because of the trailer

I almost passed on 'The Leftovers' because the first trailer made it look like some dark, confusing mess. But my buddy kept bugging me to give it three episodes, so I caved during a slow week last February. By episode four, I was hooked on how it handles grief and weirdness without trying to explain everything. The soundtrack and acting just clicked for me out of nowhere. Anyone else have a show that flopped in previews but turned out amazing?

My buddy's comment about pacing ruined The Wire for me

I was binging The Wire for the first time last month, doing like 3 episodes a night. My friend who's seen it 4 times said I was watching it wrong. He said the show is meant to be digested slowly, like one episode max per day, and that I was missing all the political stuff by rushing. I pushed back at first but then I tried his way for season 3. Honesty, he was kind of right. I noticed way more details about the mayor's office and the docks. Anyone else had someone tell you to slow down on a show and it actually made it better?

Took me 3 rewatches to realize I was skipping the opening credits

I always thought the cold open was the only setup you needed for an episode. Then I caught The Leftovers theme song on my third watch and realized I'd been missing half the emotional weight the whole time. Anyone else have a show where the credits actually matter?

Tried a 30-day free trial of a streaming service and forgot to cancel before the $15 charge hit

I signed up for Apple TV+ just to watch Severance, binged the whole season in a weekend, and now I'm out $15 because the calendar reminder I set for myself somehow got buried under work stuff - has anyone else dealt with sneaky auto-renewal fees from these streaming services?

Binged all 13 seasons of Grey's Anatomy in 6 months and burned out hard

I started Grey's Anatomy back in February as background noise, but by March I was hooked and watching 5 episodes a night. Hit season 9 and completely lost steam when a certain character left the show. Has anyone else hit a wall with a really long series and had to take a break before finishing?

Binged 'The Bear' in one weekend and now I can't watch cooking shows the same way

I was laid up with a bad back last Saturday and figured I'd watch one episode, but 8 hours later I'd burned through the whole first season. Has anyone else had a show completely ruin a whole genre for them after a binge?

Started watching The Bear on Hulu and it took me 3 episodes to realize it's not a comedy

I went into The Bear thinking it was a lighthearted chef show, you know, something to unwind to after work. But by episode 3 with the kitchen meltdown and the spaghetti scene, I was stressed out and noticed I hadn't laughed once. I actually checked my phone to confirm the genre and saw it's listed as a comedy-drama, which felt like a lie in the moment. It took me a solid 45 minutes of that episode to realize I was watching something way more intense than I signed up for. Has anyone else had that experience where a show totally tricks you with its vibe for the first few episodes?

That hyped up show my friend pushed on me actually delivered

My coworker kept telling me to watch The Bear for like 6 months and I kept blowing it off because I thought it was just another overrated chef drama. Finally gave in last Saturday and watched the first 3 episodes in one sitting. The way they shoot the kitchen chaos with the fast cuts and noise just pulled me in. Has anyone else been wrong about a show they were sure they'd hate?

Figured out why I kept rewatching The Office every year

Last week I realized it's not the jokes, it's the comfort of knowing exactly what happens next that keeps me coming back for my 12th full rewatch, anyone else got that one show they cycle through forever?

I miss when TV shows actually had time to breathe between seasons

Watched a new show on Netflix that dropped all 8 episodes at once. Binge finished it in two nights. And now I'm just sitting here thinking about how back in the 90s you'd watch a show, talk about it at school or work the next day, wait a whole week for the next episode. The whole season would take months. Now it's like they want you to finish a whole show in one weekend. Idk, maybe it's just me but I feel like the stories hit different when you had time to sit with them. Like watching Twin Peaks week to week was this whole experience. Now it's just content to consume. Anyone else feel like the old way made shows stick with you more?

Took me 4 days to finish a 6 episode show I should have watched in one sitting

I picked up this Canadian crime drama called '19-2' last week. Figured I'd breeze through the first season in a night or two, but the pacing was so slow I kept falling asleep. Ended up stretching those 6 episodes across 4 days because I kept rewinding to catch details I missed. Has anyone else struggled with a show that should be easy to binge but just drags on?

Shoutout to the one perfect day I had last fall where every show I picked was a winner

Went through four straight days of garbage TV last month where I couldn't finish anything I started, then all of a sudden on Tuesday I binged an entire season of a random British crime drama and it actually stuck the landing, has anyone else had a streak break like that out of nowhere?

Finally binged The Bear this weekend after putting it off for a year

I kept hearing people rave about it on this sub but figured a show about a kitchen couldn't hold my attention for more than one episode. Then last Saturday I sat down at 9pm and before I knew it the sun was coming up and I had watched the whole first season. Did anyone else feel like those high stress kitchen scenes actually made your heart race or is that just me?

Was dead set against subtitles for years, then 'Dark' changed my mind last month

A friend kept pestering me to watch that German show on Netflix, and after 20 minutes of the dubbed voices sounding like a bad cartoon, I switched to subtitles just to see the actual acting. Four episodes later I was hooked and now I'm actively seeking out foreign shows, so has anyone else had a show completely flip their stance on reading vs. dubbing?

Rant: Paid $200 for a "premium" streaming add-on and it ruined my whole weekend binge

Why does every crime show skip the boring evidence room scenes?

I've binged like 8 crime procedurals this month and they all jump straight from finding a clue to solving the case... completely ignoring how lab techs spend days cross-referencing DNA databases and logging chain-of-custody forms. My cousin actually works evidence in Dallas and says real investigations are 90% paperwork and waiting on test results. Anyone else feel like shows are giving us a fake idea of how police work actually happens?

Had to choose between binging The Wire or The Sopranos first, picked The Wire and I'm hooked after 3 episodes

Pro tip: Watch "The Bear" with subtitles even if you speak English

I missed half the dialogue in the first two episodes until I turned on captions during a loud kitchen scene in episode 3, has anyone else caught things they totally missed on a rewatch?

Friend told me Severance was too slow and I almost quit episode 2

My buddy Mark said the pacing was glacial and I almost dropped it after the first two episodes. He kept saying 'nothing happens' but I pushed through to episode 4 and holy crap that twist changed everything. Now I tell people to at least get to the waffle party before deciding. Has anyone else almost bailed on a show because of one person's bad take?

Picked 'The Americans' over 'Justified' and now I'm questioning my taste

I had two days off last month and couldn't decide which show to start. Went with 'The Americans' on a friend's recommendation. Watched 8 episodes straight and felt like I needed a shower after all the lying and tension. Should I switch to 'Justified' or stick it out for season 2? Anyone else struggle with picking between two critically loved shows?

Vent: 'The Bear' Season 3 lost me after 2 episodes

I was so hyped for this show after binging season 2 in one weekend... but season 3 feels like they forgot what made it good. Episode 1 was just a 30 minute anxiety montage with barely any story, and episode 2 was all kitchen drama with zero cooking. Did anyone else tap out or does it get better after episode 4?