MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Who Prefers Not To Binge Watch?

Who Prefers Not To Binge Watch?

posted 6 years ago by Retromogul (1082)
25 replies | jump to latest

Whenever I watch a series I limit myself to about 3-4 episodes a week. If a season has more than 20 episodes it's around 5-6.
I find it more rewarding because I find myself thinking more about the characters, and I feel a greater sense of anticipation over what happens next. I enjoy waiting and looking forward to the next episodes. I find it also easier to remember what happens.

No intended offence but for the life of me I can't understand why so many people want to binge watch entire seasons. Don't they get eye strain? What's the point of binge watching such an amount? Demanding time constraints perhaps? Yet people I know who binge watch find themselves easily bored in their day to day lives; have suffered from addictions, and have compulsive personalities. They are also easily distracted and prone to checking their phones and what not.

reply

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

That brings to mind when I watched The Sopranos in its initial run. I became so invested in the characters, and felt such high anticipation waiting for the next season to air. Whenever people rush through the entire series in a matter of days I can't help feeling 'what a waste'. Where was the time to become seriously invested and attached, and wondering what will happen? In my experience, watching the final season was one of the most intense viewing experiences of my life.

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

On a footnote, what I think is binge watching is more than about eight episodes in one sitting. Or entire seasons or multiple seasons in one sitting.

reply

[–] darth (2) 6 years ago

god knows I don't want to. But I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

Restrain yourself 😉

I do understand that temptation. My worst case was Breaking Bad.

reply

[–] Ghaleon (606) 6 years ago

Unfortunately, I tend to binge watch most shows. DVD boxsets were a recent thing when I started getting into this habit.

If I don't binge watch a show, it tends to mean I'm not enjoying it.

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

I understand that sentiment but trust me taking breaks from an otherwise gripping show is also very rewarding.

Also, in regards to binge watching, have you ever experienced an inevitable burnout from having too much of a good thing?

reply

[–] Ghaleon (606) 6 years ago

Yeah, I experienced burnout from Breaking Bad. The fourth season had just finished when I started watching. In a few short days I was caught up and then felt this sense of emptiness for about a week afterward.
Waiting for the next season, only to have it split in half over two years was almost unbearable.

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

Yeah that's very unfortunate...I tried not to make that mistake with Game of Thrones. I began watching it in late 2015, taking months long breaks between seasons, before I finally caught up in the middle of last year. I still feel like that I finished it too soon.

reply

[–] Ghaleon (606) 6 years ago

I started watching GoT in late 2014, and ended up watching the first four seasons over a couple days. Again, waiting for further seasons was a pain.

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

Excuse me for saying yikes!

reply

[–] Ghaleon (606) 6 years ago

There are just too many shows coming out too often for me to keep up. That's really my only justification.

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

And of course it's a pretty epic show and hard to put down 😉

reply

[–] mplo (2370) 6 years ago

As a general rule, I don't binge-watch unless it's something quite special. I remember watching all of the Episodes of "Lonesome Dove" on TV roughly 30 years ago, and liking it a lot. I haven't binge-watched since, however.

I also used to watch "Cagney and Lacey" every Monday night without fail, when it was on the air, as well.

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

That was something special for me - weekly installments and that sense of anticipation.

reply

[–] mplo (2370) 6 years ago

I miss that program. It was so great, plus it tackled all the issues of the day, as well.

Tyne Daly, who played Mary Beth Lacey, and Sharon Gless, who played Sargent Christine Cagney, were both excellent in that program. I was sorry when it went off the air.

Another weekly program that was on every Sunday night was "Life Goes On", about a family that goes on in life despite obstacles and problems of some sort or other. The names of the people who starred in "Life Goes On", with the exception of Chris Burke, who played "Corky", a Downs Syndrome person (Chris Burke is/was a Downs Syndrome person in real life, btw), escape me at the moment, but it, too was an excellent program that I missed when it went off the air.

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

My apologies I was meant to refer to general programming that I enjoyed when I was younger. I had missed Cagney and Lacey during its oringinal run.

reply

[–] mplo (2370) 6 years ago

That's okay, Retromogul. Apology accepted. Thanks. What was the general programming that you enjoyed when you were younger? Just curious. Cagney and Lacey was a cool program, about two women police officers.

reply

[–] Retromogul (1082) 6 years ago

On the top of my head I can recall looking forward to weekly instalments of The X-Files, The Simpsons, NYPD Blue, and Seinfeld. I was a 90's child.

reply

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I don't really binge watch. I like to take a break, give me time to process what I watched.

reply

[–] kspkap (13621) 6 years ago

I will wait for several seasons to have aired...then I binge watch. On Netflix and Amazon Prime if there is only one season to watch, I won’t watch it. This is due to so many shows which got cancelled after one season. Why waste my time? As it is there are many shows I’ve watched when they first aired on the networks or cable only to be left hanging!🤬🤬 “The Glades” ended up in the air which really ticked me off! “Timeless”, “Forever” 2014-2015, and so many more. Thank goodness Netflix picked up Longmire so it could end as it should. I never watched “Beauty & The Beast” when it aired, so when it hit Netflix I binge watched hour after hour then bought the series!

reply

[–] twinA (4921) 6 years ago

We can relate. Whenever I watch a bunch of something at one time I lose interest. If I'm ever watching a film that's more than 2 hours in length and I wish to go through it in one sitting, I take a periodic break do tasks on other things that would have distracted me earlier but need to get done. Plus, get the blood flowing in my legs again being in one spot for so long.

There's so much stuff to watch right now it's unreal. With all the cool content out there, so much to do with so little time. Reminds me of the plot in 'The Twilight Zone' episode "Time Enough At Last."

~~/o/

reply

1
2