c/binge-worthy-shows

Spent $40 on a show everyone said was great. Could not get past episode 3.

Everyone in my friend group was raving about this new sci-fi series. They said it was the next big thing. So I paid for a month of the streaming service just to watch it, that's $40 gone. The plot moved so slow and the characters were flat. I gave it three full episodes before I quit. Has anyone else dropped cash on a show that just didn't click for them? What was it?

I gave up on a show after two episodes, then my friend made me try it again a year later

Last year, I watched the first two episodes of 'Severance' and just could not get into it. The pace felt too slow, and I didn't connect with any of the characters. I wrote it off completely. Fast forward to last month, my buddy Mike kept telling me I had to give it another shot. He said, 'Just get through episode four, I promise.' So I did, and wow, was I wrong. That third episode is where everything clicks, and by the end of the fourth, I was totally hooked. I ended up watching the whole first season in one weekend. It made me realize sometimes a show needs a few episodes to really find its footing. Has anyone else had a show they disliked at first that became a favorite after pushing through?

Just blew a whole weekend on that new fantasy show everyone's hyping

I watched eight episodes before I admitted it was just pretty people walking between CGI trees. My Sunday is GONE. Anyone have a good thriller to actually cleanse the palate?

Tried the 'one episode a night' plan versus a full weekend binge on Severance

We watched Severance over two weeks with my partner, sticking to just one episode each evening to make it last. The slow burn and cliffhangers hit way harder, and we talked about each episode for days after. Anyone else find that pacing yourself makes a great show even better?

Pro tip: check the episode count before you start a new show on a Sunday night.

I got into this Korean drama on Netflix called 'Reply 1988' last weekend, thinking it was a normal 16 episode series. I looked it up after the third episode and saw it has 20 episodes, each over 90 minutes long. Has anyone else accidentally committed to a show way longer than they expected?

My $8 a month for the ad-free tier of a streaming service is the best money I spend

It cut my binge time in half because I'm not sitting through commercials. Anyone else find a small upgrade that made a huge difference?

My brother told me to skip the first season of 'The Wire' and I'm glad I didn't listen

He said the first season was too slow and to start with season two. I tried it his way and was totally lost with the new dockworker characters. I went back and watched from the beginning, and that first season setting up McNulty and the Barksdale crew was key. Anyone else get bad advice about where to start a show?

DAE get totally lost in a show's filler episodes?

I was trying to binge 'One Piece' and kept hitting these 10 episode stretches where nothing moved forward. I started skipping any episode with a 'filler' tag on the wiki guide, and it cut my watch time in half. Anyone got a better method for spotting the skippable stuff?

Back in 2010, I'd watch one episode a week with my roommate. Now I wait for the whole season to drop and watch it over a weekend. The shift happened around 2015 for me.

Remember when you had to wait a whole week for the next episode? Binging the new season of Severance in one night felt like a different world.

Showerthought: I always thought 'The Bear' was too stressful to binge

Then I read that the entire first season was filmed in just 18 days, which explains that frantic, real-time energy. Has anyone else had a show's behind-the-scenes fact totally change how you watch it?

Choosing between a new show and rewatching The Office for the fifth time

Last Friday, I had to pick between starting that new sci-fi series everyone's talking about or just putting on The Office again, and I went with the comfort rewatch. It felt like putting on a favorite old hoodie, you know, but now I'm wondering if I'm stuck in a loop. What's the last show you chose to rewatch instead of trying something new?

Vent: I was about to quit on 'Severance' after the first two episodes

Honestly, the first hour felt so slow and confusing I almost dropped it. My buddy told me to just power through to episode 3, and I'm glad I did because that's when the whole mystery really kicks in. Has anyone else had a show that took a few tries to finally click?

Got stuck inside for a whole weekend and tried a show my cousin kept pushing on me.

It rained nonstop from Friday night through Sunday here in Portland, so I just gave in and started 'Severance'. I watched all nine episodes in about two days, which I never do. The weird office rules and that scene with the baby goats had me hooked. What's another show that pulls you in that fast?

I finally watched 'The Bear' and I don't get the hype

Last month, my friends in Chicago kept telling me I had to see it, so I binged the first season over a weekend. Everyone talks about the stress and the cooking being so real, but for me, the constant yelling just made it hard to watch. I worked in a kitchen for three years back in college, and while it's loud, the show felt like it was trying too hard to be intense every single minute. Has anyone else felt like this, or did it click for you on a second try?

Okay, I finally gave in and watched that show everyone at work was talking about

For months my friend kept telling me to watch 'Severance' and I kept putting it off because the whole office-life sci-fi thing sounded boring. I finally caved last weekend and watched the first episode. By 2 AM I had finished the whole season, it just hooks you right from the start. The way they built the mystery in that first episode with the outie's video message was crazy good. Has anyone else had a show they were totally wrong about?

Showerthought: I gave up on a show after one episode, then my friend made me watch the whole first season.

I tried 'Severance' last year and turned it off halfway through the first episode because it felt too slow. My friend in Chicago insisted I watch the first five episodes, so I did over a weekend. The show completely changes after episode 4, and now it's one of my favorite shows ever. Has anyone else had a show that needed a few episodes to really hook you?

My 'can't miss' show turned into a total snooze fest last weekend

I started that new space show everyone was talking about on Friday night. By episode three, I was checking my phone more than the screen. The big twist was obvious from the first scene and the characters just stood around talking about their feelings. I gave it two more episodes on Saturday before I finally turned it off and watched a movie instead. Has anyone else tried to stick with a show that was just painfully boring?

My brother told me to give 'The Bear' a second chance after I quit halfway through season 1

He said the first few episodes are meant to feel stressful and chaotic, and that the show really finds its groove in the back half of the season. I binged the rest over the weekend and he was totally right, the character work just gets so much better. Anyone else have a show they were glad they stuck with?

Binged 'The Night Agent' in one sitting and my sleep schedule is still wrecked

Started it last Friday night thinking I'd watch an episode or two, but the cliffhangers got me. Ended up finishing all 10 episodes by 6 AM Saturday. My brain felt fried for two whole days after. Anyone else have a show that just completely took over a weekend like that?

Just saw a wild fact about the 'Supernatural' filming schedule

I was reading an old interview with the showrunner and he said they shot 23 episodes a year for 15 years straight. That's over 300 episodes, which is crazy for a live-action show (most stuff these days does 8 or 10). They'd basically film from July to April with almost no break. I'm on season 7 of my re-watch and knowing that makes all the location shots and car scenes even more impressive. Has anyone else come across a show with a filming grind that intense?

I finally gave up on that new fantasy show after the third episode

The whole thing fell apart for me when the main guy, who was supposed to be a master swordsman, just stood there while a goblin charged him. It happened last Tuesday, and I just turned it off. The special effects looked cheap and the story felt like a bad copy of something else. Has anyone else tried to watch 'Chronicles of the Dawn' and felt totally let down?

Overheard a couple at the gym talking about skipping the first season of a show

I was on the treadmill yesterday and two people next to me were talking about 'The Wire'. One told the other to just start with season two because season one was too slow. That got me thinking, you miss so much setup and character work if you do that. It made me realize how often people give that kind of advice now. Has anyone else been told to skip a whole season of a show to 'get to the good part'?

Why does nobody talk about watching shows at 1.25x speed when you're short on time?

I tried it last week with a slower drama I wanted to finish, and it actually kept the story moving without making the dialogue sound weird. Has anyone else found a specific speed that works for them?

Hot take: People keep calling 'The Bear' a comedy and it's making me question their definition of stress.