Finally figured out why my show recs always fell flat

I spent months recommending Breaking Bad to everyone I met because I thought it was the ultimate binge show, but nobody ever finished it. Then my buddy pointed out that not everyone wants 60 hours of intense drama - sometimes people just want a tight 8 episode comedy. How do you guys figure out what kind of show someone is actually in the mood for before you blurt out a suggestion?

2 comments

2 Comments

theabennett26d ago

yeah but I gotta gently push back on that "just ask what they've been into lately" thing. in my experience, people will say "I don't know, whatever" or "something good" which tells you nothing. once someone told me they liked The Wire so I recommended Treme and they hated it because they wanted cops and dealers, not jazz musicians. same creator, totally different vibe. so I think there's a middle ground between psychoanalyzing someone and just throwing out a title. I try to narrow it down by asking about the last thing they actually finished, not just what they're into generally. if someone says they binged Ted Lasso in a weekend, I know to keep things light and feel-good. but if they say they've been watching Succession for three months, they might want something shorter or less intense next. your mileage may vary of course.

gavin_mason3126d ago

nobody ever finished it" - maybe that says more about your friends than the show lol. I don't think this needs to be some whole system where you psychoanalyze someone's mood before picking a show. just ask "what have you been into lately" and go from there. if someone tells me they liked Ozark I'm not gonna throw on The Office. it's really not that deep. worst case they watch one episode and say nah, then you move on.