c/binge-worthy-shows

Unpopular opinion: Breaking Bad actually got worse after season 3

That week I watched a whole anime in 3 days and it broke my brain

I started Attack on Titan on a Tuesday night and by Friday morning I'd finished all four seasons, I think I only slept like 10 hours total. Has anyone else just completely lost track of time during a binge and felt weirdly empty after the credits rolled?

I finally figured out why my binges always fizzle out by episode 4

For years I'd start a new show and lose interest by the third or fourth episode without fail. I thought I just had bad taste or something until last week when my friend Sarah asked why I was watching on 1.75x speed. She told me I was ruining the pacing by trying to consume shows too fast like they were news articles. Now I watch at normal speed and actually finish whole seasons in one go. Anybody else accidentally sabotage their own binge sessions like this?

Started 'The Americans' last Monday and didn't sleep until Wednesday

I put on the pilot thinking I'd watch one episode before bed and somehow burned through 18 hours straight with no real breaks. Has anyone else had a show completely wreck your sleep schedule like that?

After 5 episodes of 'The Pitt' I switched from Scrubs reruns

I was stuck in a loop watching old Scrubs episodes for the 50th time. My coworker kept saying the new medical show The Pitt was better because it's one real-time shift per season. I finally gave it a shot last Saturday and watched 3 episodes back to back. The pacing feels more tense and the medical stuff is way more accurate. Has anyone else made the jump from comedies to dramas like this?

Question about those shows where nobody talks like a real person

I was watching this new crime drama last night and I overheard my roommate say 'nobody actually talks like that' during a scene where two cops were having this really dramatic conversation in a parked car. And honestly, she was right. Like why does every character have to explain their whole backstory in one monologue? I get that it moves the plot along but it just pulls me right out of the show. Has anyone else noticed this ruining an otherwise decent series for them?

Rewatched Breaking Bad in 10 days vs the original 5 year run

First time I watched it live over 5 years, I thought Skyler was the worst. Binge watching it in 10 days last week flipped that completely - she's just a normal person dealing with crazy. Anybody else have a character turn around on a rewatch like that?

Finally finished The Wire after 3 tries

Kept quitting season 1. Too slow for me. Third time I forced myself past episode 5. Something clicked. Now I get why everyone calls it the best show ever. Has anyone else had to restart a series multiple times before it stuck?

My coworker made me see 'Dark' in a completely different light

I was talking to this guy in shipping, Dave, and he said he watched the German show 'Dark' three times. I thought that was crazy because I barely got through one season, it felt so confusing with all the time jumps and similar looking characters. But Dave explained how he treated it like a puzzle instead of a regular drama, and he even made a little chart on his phone to track the family trees. That hit different because I always just watch shows to relax and turn my brain off, but 'Dark' wants you to pay attention to every detail. So I gave it another shot last weekend, started from episode one with a notebook, and man it clicked way better. I actually finished all three seasons in like 5 days and now I kinda want to watch it again. Has anyone else had a show that needed a second try or a different mindset to really get into it?

Can we finally admit that 'The Office' is not the best binge show ever?

I just finished a poll in my book club where 12 out of 15 people picked 'The Office' as their top show to rewatch, but I think it's got too many slow seasons. The first season is rough and the later ones without Michael Scott drag on forever. Am I the only one who thinks there are at least a dozen better shows to binge?

Started watching a crime drama from 2019 and the first season was a slog, but season 2 hooked me hard

A buddy kept pushing me to check out this show called The Killing, said it was so good. I started it 3 weeks ago and almost quit after episode 4, it moved way too slow for me. Last night I hit season 2 and suddenly I couldn't stop, binged 6 episodes straight. Has anyone else had a show that took a full season to find its stride? What kept you going through it?

One day last week I watched 14 episodes of The Bear back to back without moving from my couch

Hit 500 episodes watched last night and it was a weird milestone for me

I was just scrolling through my streaming history trying to find a show I fell asleep during three weeks ago, and I noticed the counter was at 499 episodes. So of course I had to make the 500th one count. I picked an episode of some cheesy 90s sci-fi show I used to watch with my dad when I was a kid. It was only 22 minutes long but it made me stop and think about how much time I've spent glued to a screen. Like, that's over 350 hours of just watching stuff. I didn't even realize I was keeping track but now I'm kind of curious how many shows I've actually finished all the way through. Has anyone else ever checked their total episode count and been surprised by the number?

Burned $15 on a show called "The Resort" and wish I could get that time back

Three episodes in, nothing happens. Just people wandering around a jungle. My buddy said it gets good at episode 4 but I'm not wasting another 4 hours of my life on this. Did anyone actually finish this thing or did you all bail too?

Took me 3 seasons to realize I was skipping the opening credits for no reason

I was binge-watching The Expanse and kept skipping the intro like I always do. Then my buddy pointed out the credits actually have clues about the episode, so I went back and watched them and missed a bunch of foreshadowing. Anyone else zone out and miss something obvious like that?

Took a weekend trip to Asheville and spotted a weird pattern in the hotel TV guide

I was flipping through channels at this little inn near downtown and noticed they had a whole category just for shows based on books. Every single one was something I'd seen recommended here before. Has anyone else stumbled onto a random hotel TV setup that actually gave you good binge ideas?

Had a friend talk me into watching The Bear after I swore off kitchen dramas

I told my buddy Mike that shows about restaurants all feel the same, but he made me watch the first episode of The Bear last week. He said the anxiety in the editing and the way they capture real kitchen chaos is different from anything else, and he was right. Has anyone else been surprised by a show they totally dismissed at first?

I was a snob about reality competition shows until my brother made me watch Great British Bake Off

For years I only watched serious dramas and documentaries (you know, the "prestige" stuff). My little brother kept bugging me to watch GBBO with him and I finally gave in last month. The moment that sold me was when this contestant's cake collapsed and everyone just hugged her instead of being mean about it. It's so weirdly relaxing to watch people actually be nice to each other while making desserts. Has anyone else had their taste in shows completely flipped by a family member?

Always thought The Wire was overhyped... gave it a real shot and now I get it

I used to watch like 2 episodes and quit because it seemed so slow and nothing was happening. My buddy at work kept telling me to push through to episode 5 and I finally did last month. That scene where they wire up the payphones with the camera really hooked me and by season 2 I was completely in. Now I see why everyone says it's one of the best crime shows ever made, the layers are crazy. Has anyone else had a show they dismissed early on and then came back to?

Used to skip slow burn shows but now I love them after watching Dark Matter on Apple TV

I always hated shows that took 4-5 episodes to get going, thought they were wasting my time. Then I watched Dark Matter last month and something clicked around episode 3 when the parallel universe stuff started making sense. Anyone else get converted to slow burn shows by a specific series?

My friend swore I'd hate The Leftovers season 2 and she was totally right

My buddy Rachel told me to stick with The Leftovers through season 1 because season 2 gets way better, but honestly I barely made it through season 1 and by episode 3 of season 2 I was done. She kept saying the writing takes a turn in season 2 after they move to that town in Texas, but I just couldn't get into the whole cult thing again. Has anyone else had a friend hype up a show that just didn't click for you no matter what season you tried?

Rewatched Dark on a flight to Chicago and changed my entire take on the ending

I was stuck on a 4 hour delay at O'Hare last month, so I pulled up Dark season 3 for a second watch. First time I thought the ending was a cop out, but this time I caught all the setup in season 1 about the knot and it clicked perfectly. Has anyone else had a show completely flip for them on a rewatch?

Looked up the Rotten Tomatoes score for Breaking Bad season 1 and it's only 85%

Everyone acts like it was perfect from episode 1, but I found that stat on Rotten Tomatoes last night and it blew my mind. Has anyone else had a favorite show that took a full season to really hit its stride?

Spent a whole day editing a video for a show review and realized I watched the wrong season

I was rewatching this crime drama to put together a review for a forum post. Got four episodes in and noticed a character was acting different. Turns out I was watching season 2 instead of season 1. So I had to start all over, wasted like 6 hours of editing. Has anyone else accidentally watched a show out of order and confused themselves?

Rant: Just realized I've watched 47 episodes of a show I don't even like

I somehow binged 47 episodes of that real estate reality show before it hit me that I hate everyone on it. What shows have you kept watching just out of pure habit?