# Netflix: A really dumb gripe about "The Gauntlet MST3K" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697 "2018-12-06T18:49:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/1 "2018-12-06T18:49:09Z")
Yesterday, I committed myself to watching MST3K’s “The Gauntlet”. It’s a back to back six show marathon. The whole premise is, if you watch it, you’re supposed to watch the whole thing. Despite this, Netflix felt the need to chop it up so you can watch each movie individually. I say this is cheating and ruins the experience. 🙂 I know this is a silly gripe, but I also know we have a LOT of die hard fans on this board. So I felt compelled to share. Any one of you nerds agree? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/2 "2018-12-06T19:02:38Z")
Was that really the premise though? I mean, the show is written such that the characters are forced to do that, but it never seemed implied that they were expecting most viewers to do that too. I certainly watched them one at a time and I think it worked just as well. The “gauntlet” was a cute framing device but I don’t think it makes much difference to the audience. I can see why it’d be a nice touch if you’re the sort of person who did want to binge everything in one sitting but I suspect most people won’t do that and splitting them up makes it easy to pick either option. I’ll take this opportunity to say that I’m really enjoying all these new MST3K episodes on Netflix. I think they’ve done a good job making the humor and presentation more polished but still preserving what made it good originally. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/3 "2018-12-06T19:33:24Z")
I am getting way too old to sit through 12 hours of MST3K–or of anything, really–all in one go. I watched each movie separately, one per day, and I didn’t feel any compunction about doing so. Unlike Jonah, I am not imprisoned on a satellite by Felicia Day, so I felt free to watch the movies on my own terms. I’m sure there may have been some people who did binge-watch the whole thing, and good for them. Netflix makes it easy to do that by starting the next episode automatically if you don’t tell it to stop. But these days, that’s not they way I want to do it. Call me a cheater if you will. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/4 "2018-12-06T23:32:25Z")
I don’t even watch normal 30 minute episodes of things in one sitting on Netflix. What difference does it make if Netflix chops it up? We all have pause buttons, right? ---
**Author:** ![dasmili](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@dasmili](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmili)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/5 "2018-12-06T23:34:25Z")
Honestly, it annoys me more that they had 14 episodes last season, but only 6 this season. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/6 "2018-12-07T16:35:39Z")
In his Twitter feed, Patton Oswalt specifically warned viewers NOT to watch the Gauntlet all at once. He said it was too dangerous. [https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/1064943787586203649](https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/1064943787586203649) > [@Patton Oswalt](#): > > Patton Oswalt Retweeted #MST3KMotivation > > Look – and I’m genuinely not joking here – I hope all you #MST3Kers watch the 6 new @MST3K episodes this Thursday, but DO NOT do this “Gauntlet” nonsense. Take breaks. Talk to your family. Hydrate. Cry. I can’t stress to you how awful these 6 new films are. DO. NOT. BINGE. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/7 "2018-12-07T16:48:37Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > In his Twitter feed, Patton Oswalt specifically warned viewers NOT to watch the Gauntlet all at once. He said it was too dangerous. [https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/1064943787586203649](https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/1064943787586203649) Lol. That’s hilarious. Thanks for sharing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/8 "2018-12-07T17:30:48Z")
Watch all six movies at once? I don’t even see _one_ all the way through in one sitting. Between the godawful movie and the riffing, I’ll quit halfway through and pick it up the next day. That’s why streaming services save your place. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/9 "2018-12-10T01:55:23Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Watch all six movies at once? I don’t even see _one_ all the way through in one sitting. Between the godawful movie and the riffing, I’ll quit halfway through and pick it up the next day. That’s why streaming services save your place. No, watch all 6 episodes simultaneously on six separate television sets. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2018, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-a-really-dumb-gripe-about-the-gauntlet-mst3k/825697/10 "2018-12-10T02:16:49Z")
That’s more of a Robot Chicken-type experience than a gauntlet.