c/binge-worthy-shows

Finished The Penguin in one sitting and everyone's wrong about it

Everyone online says Colin Farrell's character is the best part of the show. But I spent 4 hours straight glued to the screen and honestly, Cristin Milioti's Sofia Falcone stole every single scene she was in. Am I the only one who found her more compelling than Oz?

Appreciation post for the person who recommended "The Bear" at my dentist's office last Tuesday

The hygienist had just finished my cleaning and suggested I watch The Bear while she walked out. I binged all 18 episodes in three days and now I can't look at a kitchen the same way. Anybody else find a show from a random stranger recommendation?

My coworker Deb said she skips the first 3 episodes of every show now

She said she got tired of slow setup scenes and just jumps into the action, and I laughed but then realized she's actually onto something since I wasted 2 hours on that new Apple series that never got good. Has anyone else tried skipping ahead and regretted it or found it actually works?

Binged "The Bear" in 2 days after hating the first episode

I shut it off 15 minutes into episode 1 last month, thought it was just anxiety junk. My friend in Chicago kept pushing me so I gave it another shot. After episode 3 the kitchen chaos started clicking and I couldn't stop. Anyone else have a show that took a second try to get into?

Showerthought: My buddy spent 4 days convincing me to watch Dark then ghosted me on episode 3

He kept saying "just get through the first 2 episodes" but when I texted him confused about the timeline he goes "oh I stopped after season 1 lol". Has anyone else had a friend hype a show hard then bail before you even get to the good part?

TIL I was wrong about that show "Severance" for months after a buddy made me watch episode 4 with him

I kept seeing ads for it and thought it looked like some pretentious office drama. My coworker Mike kept telling me to give it a shot. Finally last Saturday he came over with a six pack and put on episode 4 where they go to the perpetuity wing. That scene with the goat got me hooked. Now I binged the whole season in two days. Has anyone else completely flipped on a show after writing it off at first?

I was ready to hate "The Bear" but it actually slapped

Kept seeing everyone hype it up and figured it was just another overrated food show. Then my buddy forced me to watch the first 3 episodes last Saturday night. The chaos in that kitchen gave me flashbacks to my own time working fast food in high school. By episode 5 I was fully hooked. Anyone else sleep on a show and then get blown away once you gave it a real shot?

Got scammed on a streaming service box from some dude on Craigslist

I bought this cheap streaming box on Craigslist for 50 bucks in Austin thinking it would unlock all shows for free. Turns out it was just a broken Android tablet with a hacked app that crashed every 10 minutes. Has anyone else fallen for one of those shady streaming sticks?

Appreciation post: How "Breaking Bad" changed what a binge show could feel like

I remember when my buddy loaned me the first season on DVD back in 2009, and I thought it was good but slow. Now I see how that slow burn setup made the whole thing hit harder when I finally binged all 5 seasons in 3 weeks last fall. Anyone else feel like shows before that era just didn't have the same kind of payoff?

Unpopular opinion: The Wire is overhyped and I'll die on that hill

I picked The Wire over The Sopranos for a 3-month binge last spring. Everyone swears by season 4 of The Wire being the best TV ever, but I dragged through 22 episodes waiting for it to click. The Sopranos grabbed me by episode 6 of season 1. Who else thinks the slow-burn street politics thing gets too much credit?

Blew past 300 shows logged on my tracker last night

I started keeping a list of every series I finish back in 2021 and hit exactly 303 last night. Has anyone else hit a random milestone like that and felt weirdly proud of it?

Swore subtitles ruined shows until I tried them on Dark on Netflix

Pro tip: try watching a show you already think you'll hate

I used to only watch shows that got rave reviews or fit my specific genres perfectly. Action, sci-fi, that's my lane. But last month my sister kept going on about this romantic dramedy set in a small town bakery, and I rolled my eyes every time. Then one Saturday I was stuck at home with a cold and nothing else was on. I figured I'd watch one episode just to prove her wrong. Five episodes later I was texting her at 2 AM about the plot twists. Turns out I was missing out on whole worlds because I thought I knew what I liked. Has anyone else had a show surprise them like that?

Finally figured out why everyone loves The Wire after 3 failed attempts

I tried watching The Wire maybe 4 times over the years and always gave up after 2 episodes. My buddy told me I was watching it like a regular crime show looking for a big case each episode. He said to treat it like a novel where each season is a book and the first few chapters are just setting up the world. I restarted it last month with that mindset and I'm now halfway through season 3. Has anyone else had a show that clicked only after someone explained how to watch it?

The night I watched 11 episodes of a baking show back to back

I used to be a strict one episode a night kind of person. Six months ago, I put on The Great British Baking Show while eating dinner, and I didn't stop until 3 AM. My wife found me on the couch with flour on my shirt from a bag I opened for no reason. Now I can't watch a single episode without planning for at least three more. Has anyone else's viewing discipline completely vanished over one random show?

That one guy at my coffee shop got me hooked on a show I ignored for 3 years

I was sitting at my usual spot at the Daily Grind last Tuesday, scrolling through Netflix for like 20 minutes. A regular I only know as "Dave in the beanie" leans over and says "you have got to stop sleeping on Peaky Blinders, I promise episode 3 changes everything." I laughed it off but gave it a shot that night. Now I'm 4 seasons in and I literally canceled plans last Friday just to finish season 2. Has anyone else had a stranger randomly recommend something that turned into your whole month?

TIL I ruined my favorite show by binging it in 3 days

I watched all 8 seasons of "The Office" in 72 hours last month and totally regretted it. By season 5 I was already burnt out and skipping through scenes. The jokes stopped landing because I didn't give myself any time to breathe between episodes. Now I'm rewatching it slow, one a night, and it feels like a whole new show. Has anyone else killed a series by watching it too fast?

I finally stopped recommending Dark after season 1

I used to tell everyone to watch Dark on Netflix, but after season 2, the time travel got so tangled up I couldn't follow half the characters. By season 3, I felt like I needed a spreadsheet just to track who was related to who. Has anyone else kept watching a show past its peak just because you already invested 10 hours into it?

Ran into an old film buff who made me rethink my whole approach to limited series

I was talking to this guy named Dave at a coffee shop up on 3rd Street. He said slow-burn shows like The Leftovers are meant to be savored over days, not devoured in one sitting. He told me I was missing half the emotional beats by binging too fast. Has anyone else had a chat that changed how they watch shows?

I finally watched The Wire after hearing about it for years

Started with season 1 of The Wire last month and finished all 5 seasons in 3 weeks. How did this show from 2002 nail the modern drug war better than anything on TV today?

Went back to an old show after 5 years and saw it totally different now

I rewatched The Wire last month for the first time since college and man, I missed so much subtext the first go round. My 22 year old self just saw cops and criminals, but now I catch all the stuff about failing institutions and how the system traps people. Has anyone else had a show completely change meaning for them on a rewatch?

Finally finished that 12 hour documentary series I started in March

I was halfway through episode 6 of The Civil War by Ken Burns when my streaming app crashed and lost my spot. This was last Thursday night around 11pm, sitting in my living room with a cold cup of coffee. I had to scroll through the timeline looking for the exact moment where Grant starts talking about Vicksburg. Found it after 15 minutes of searching and finished the whole series by Saturday afternoon. Has anyone else had a streaming glitch that messed up a binge session?

Wasted $60 on a show that everyone hyped up and I still don't get the fuss

Last month I saw this crime drama popping up everywhere on my feed. People kept saying it was the best thing on streaming right now. I paid $60 for the whole season on Amazon because my free trial ended. The first three episodes were so slow I kept checking my phone. By episode five I was forcing myself to watch just to get my money's worth. The big twist at the end felt super predictable and I called it halfway through. I feel like I could have used that $60 on a pizza and a new book instead. Has anyone else fallen for the hype on a show and regretted the purchase that fast?

Bought a 3-month streaming subscription for a show that got cancelled after one season

Wasted $45 on a niche streaming service just to watch 'The Lost Station' and they pulled it after 8 episodes, has anyone else fallen for a show that vanished before you finished binging?

Gave The Wire a real shot and honestly didn't get the hype

I kept hearing everyone say it's the best show ever made so I sat through 9 episodes last month. To me it just felt slow and the characters weren't that interesting. Maybe I'm missing something but I'd rather watch something with a faster pace. Is there a certain point where it picks up or am I just not the target audience?