c/binge-worthy-shows

Dropped $60 on a streaming service bundle and now I can't find anything to watch

I signed up for that new stream bundle with Paramount, Peacock, and Apple TV for $60 a month figuring I'd save money over paying separately. But now I just scroll through 50 options and end up rewatching The Office on my old Netflix account I share with my sister. Anyone else feel like having more choices just makes it harder to pick something?

Three episodes into a new show and skipped the recap on episode 4, totally lost the whole subplot

I found out that clicking the 'skip intro' button also skips the 30-second recap on Netflix for shows like Dark, so I missed the reveal about the time travel device and had to rewind and catch it again, has anyone else accidentally torpedoed their own binge this way?

That 90s show reboot on Netflix made me quit after 3 episodes

I was looking forward to it all week, parked on the couch with a bag of chips, and the laugh track felt so forced it ruined every scene for me. Has anyone else bailed on a show that fast because the energy was just off from the get-go?

Fell for the hype on that 8-episode drama everyone was raving about

My coworker told me I had to watch The Night Manager, said it was the best thing on streaming. I paid $15 to rent it because it wasn't on any of my services. Binged all 8 episodes in two days and the ending was so flat I felt like I wasted my whole weekend. 4 hours of my life and $15 I'm never getting back. Has anyone else gotten burned by overhyped miniseries that just fizzle out?

The first season of The Wire is brilliant but the second season feels like a completely different show

I binge watched all of season 1 in three days and loved the street level crime story, but after episode 1 of season 2 with all the dock workers and shipping containers I almost quit the series, so did anyone else struggle to push through that shift or does it get better?

Just finished binging both versions of The Stand back to back

The 90s miniseries is way better than the 2020 one. Gary Sinise as Stu Redman actually felt like a real guy, not a superhero. Has anyone else noticed how the newer version rushed the whole Boulder section?

Had someone critique my character pacing in a show and it stuck with me

I was watching The Wire with my buddy Dave last summer, and he kept saying I was missing how slow Season 2 builds up. He told me I was too used to shows like Breaking Bad where everything moves fast. I started paying more attention to the little conversations and setup scenes, and now I actually enjoy the slow burn stuff. Has anyone else had a friend or comment totally shift how you watch a series?

Can we talk about hitting 500 episodes watched in a year?

I just hit 500 episodes watched this year and it surprised me. That was my number after checking my tracker app last night. Part of me thinks it's impressive dedication to stories, but another part worries I might be watching too much. Does reaching a high count mean you're a great fan or just wasting time?

Had to pick between binging a crime drama or a fantasy series last night

I was scrolling Netflix for like 20 minutes trying to decide between Mindhunter and The Witcher. Ended up going with Mindhunter because I heard it was more of a slow burn and I was in the mood for something real. Got through 4 episodes before I realized it was 2am and I had work in the morning. Has anyone else had a hard time choosing between two totally different genres and regretted one choice?

Just realized my week of terrible shows was actually perfect

Last Tuesday I watched three episodes of a new thriller and hated every second... but I kept going. By Friday I realized I was actually hooked on how bad it was. My husband walked in and asked why I was yelling at the TV. I told him it's like a car crash you can't look away from. Has anyone else stuck with a terrible show just to see how awful it gets?

Shoutout to that slow-burn crime drama everyone missed last year

I kept hearing friends hype up the same 3 shows over and over, so I dug through a streaming list I found on a random blog. That's how I landed on this Irish crime series called 'Kin' from 2021. Nobody I know talks about it, but the pacing and family drama hooked me harder than any flashy new release. Am I the only one who finds these overlooked gems better than the big hits?

Binged a 10 season show in 2 weeks and still forgot the plot

I watched all of Supernatural over the summer, cramming 10 seasons into 14 days. But by season 8 I couldn't remember which brother died and came back when. Has anyone else binged so fast the details blurred together?

That documentary about the shipping container crisis made me look at my load board differently

I was watching that Netflix doc on global shipping last night and they mentioned how a single missed port call can cascade into weeks of delays. I started cross-referencing weather patterns with my route planning after that, and I've already cut two unnecessary layovers this month. Anyone else find useful tips from random shows?

Warning: I hit episode 50 of a show and it completely stalled on me

I was binging some random crime drama on Netflix and got to episode 50 without even noticing. I thought wow that's a lot but then I looked at the remaining episodes and it had like 120 more. The pacing just died after that point for me. Has anyone else run into a show that got too long and you just lost interest?

Hot take: I used to skip the first episode of every show, but a stranger at the laundromat changed my mind.

I was at the 24 hour laundromat near my place in Portland last Tuesday, folding socks and trying to decide what to watch next. This older guy next to me must have overheard me muttering about skipping episode 1 of The Americans because I hate slow starts. He looked at me and said, 'You're missing the point. Episode 1 is the thesis statement, everything else is just proof.' I thought he was being dramatic but I gave it a shot that night. Turns out he was right, that first episode set up character motivations I would have totally missed. Now I force myself to watch every pilot before deciding to bail. Has anyone else found a pilot that seemed boring but ended up being crucial later?

Discovered the 2x speed trick for slow shows and it saved my sanity

Can we talk about that one show that hooked me after a slow start

I was scrolling Netflix on my couch in Chicago around midnight last Tuesday. I put on this show called The Fall and almost quit after the first two episodes because it felt too slow. But I forced myself to stick with it after a friend said it picks up. By episode four I was glued to the screen and finished the whole season in two days. The tension just builds in a way that sneaks up on you. Has anyone else pushed through a slow beginning and ended up loving a show?

Wasted 8 hours on a show with a terrible ending

I blew through all 5 seasons of The 100 in a week. The finale was so bad it made the whole thing feel pointless. Anyone else have a show that ruined the entire binge for you?

Just realized I've been skipping over these hidden gem shows

So my streaming service had a glitch last Thursday where the recommended page wouldn't load at all. I was stuck scrolling through the A-Z list instead and accidentally clicked on some show called "Patriot" that I never would have picked. Ended up watching four episodes in a row that night! The algorithm always pushes the same big budget stuff but there's a whole world of smaller series buried in those alphabetical menus. Now I'm wondering what else I've been missing because the app just shows me the same top 10 over and over. Has anyone else found a show by accident this way that turned out to be amazing?

Tried watching a show my friend called 'slow burn' and almost gave up

My buddy in Denver kept telling me to watch this show called 'The Leftovers'. He said it was a masterpiece but you had to get through the first three episodes. I tried twice and kept falling asleep halfway through the second one. Finally, I forced myself to watch the whole third episode like he said, and something just clicked. Now I'm on season two and I can't stop thinking about it. Has anyone else had a show that was a real grind at first but then got amazing?

Vent: I spent 3 whole days trying to figure out the timeline in 'Dark'

I thought I was smart enough to follow a show with time travel, but 'Dark' broke me. After season 2, I had to stop and draw a family tree on a big piece of paper just to see who was related to who. It took me 3 days of rewinding scenes and looking up fan charts online to finally get it straight. The show is great, but they make you work for it. Has anyone else had a show that needed homework to enjoy?

My barista in Seattle got me hooked on a show I'd never heard of

I was grabbing coffee last month and the guy making my drink saw my phone wallpaper, which is a shot from Dark. He just lit up and said, 'If you like that, you have to watch The OA.' I'd never even heard of it. He spent a good five minutes telling me about the story, how it's about a blind girl who comes back after being missing for years, and she can see. He was so into it, describing the weird movements and the whole vibe. I was pretty skeptical, honestly, but I gave it a shot that night. Ended up watching the whole first season in two days. It's one of those shows that sticks with you. Has anyone else had a random person recommend a show that became a total favorite?

A weird thing I saw at a hotel in Austin last weekend

I was staying at a hotel downtown and the lobby had this huge screen showing a live feed of what people were watching on Netflix. It was just a list of show titles and viewer counts, updating every few seconds. For a solid hour, the top three were all Korean dramas, with one show getting over 2 million viewers at that exact moment. It made me realize how much that kind of TV has taken over the binge scene. Has anyone else noticed a specific genre just dominating everywhere lately?

Decided to watch a show from the year I graduated high school

I picked 'Freaks and Geeks' from 1999, thinking it would just be a funny time capsule. After the first three episodes, I was hooked on the characters more than the jokes. It made me think about how shows back then had slower starts but built things up better. Anyone else find an old show that surprised them like that?

Just had a total binge fail with the new season of 'Sunken Harbor'

I was at home last night, all set for a five episode run of the new season. I made popcorn, got my blanket, the whole thing. Right at the big cliffhanger in episode three, my streaming service glitched and the whole app crashed. I tried to reload it, but it just kept spinning. I checked my internet, which was fine, and even restarted my tablet. Nothing worked. I ended up missing the last twenty minutes of that key episode and it totally ruined the flow. I had to wait almost an hour for the app to come back online, and by then I'd lost all the tension. It was such a letdown after planning my whole night around it. Has anyone else had a streaming crash wreck a binge session right at the worst possible moment?