# Not remembering details of past series you watched **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595 "2021-05-07T14:41:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/1 "2021-05-07T14:41:44Z")
So, I am rewatching the Sopranos, in advance of the prequel coming out in a few months. It’s been about 20 years since I began watching the series. I just finished the 1st season. I remember the story arc very well, as well as characters and key episodes that for whatever reason I remember well. But the specific scenes, even some whole episodes, I don’t remember. I thought it would be more boring, but I am finding it very entertaining to watch again. I’ll watch movies that I haven’t seen for several years, and have much more recollection, I guess because you’re only talking about a few hours of a story line, vs. over 75 hours of content in a series. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/2 "2021-05-07T16:43:34Z")
My family jokes that we have watched every James Bond movie a dozen times and yet we still only have a vague idea of what the plot is about. For instance, if you asked me what happened in From Russia With Love, I’d only have vague memories of a shoe knife, a gypsy girl fight, and a fight on a train. And there was some kind of decoder macguffin that everyone was after, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/3 "2021-05-07T16:53:28Z")
I’m like that with Matt Damon’s “Bourne” movies. I know I saw them all, in the theaters, but I couldn’t tell you which one was which, they all just kind of blur together. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/4 "2021-05-07T17:31:27Z")
I am absolutely terrible at remembering the details of movies and TV shows even after I just watched them. If someone asks me “what was your favorite part?” as we are leaving the theater, I always say “I don’t know.” Because I don’t actually remember any specific scenes. I remember the basic plot, and whether or not I enjoyed it, but I don’t retain any details, unless a scene is _very_ memorable. I have been rewatching _The Americans_ and I’m noticing the same thing as you. Though I remember the general story arc and a few key scenes, there are a lot of things I’ve forgotten. Certain parts might be less suspenseful or shocking the second time around, but it’s still enjoyable the second time. In fact there are some new details I’m noticing now that I probably didn’t notice the first time. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/5 "2021-05-07T17:48:04Z")
My weakness is character names. I can watch an entire season and still not remember names. Like Sopranos, I watched the entire series and can’t remember a single name. Except maybe Joey, and that only bc it’s a mafia show so of course they have a Joey. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/6 "2021-05-07T17:53:52Z")
I’ve been rewatching _Frasier_, and even though I’ve re-watched the entire series at least once already I find that I don’t remember a lot of the specifics. So I actually _watch_ most of the episodes (vs getting distracted by my iPad), because I don’t remember how that week’s story ends. And I don’t remember most of the one-liners, so they still make me chuckle. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/7 "2021-05-07T17:56:41Z")
I absolutely have that issue with both TV/movies and with books. If there are years in between, I can pretty much consume something for the first time more than once. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/8 "2021-05-07T17:59:18Z")
My wife and I are like that too. We’ve been watching “New Amsterdam” since it first aired, and we still can’t remember half the doctors’ names. They had an episode earlier this season when Dr. Reynolds (the heart surgeon who left last season) came back, and somehow I got the name “Dr. Bishop” stuck in my head. Until someone called him Dr. Reynolds, and then I was like “No wait, Dr. Bishop is the cancer doctor.” Nope, that’s Dr. Sharpe. It turned into a running joke for the rest of the episode. (For those who don’t watch… _there is no_ Dr. Bishop on the show. I have no idea where that name came from.) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/9 "2021-05-07T18:02:27Z")
Just last year, I listened to an old Dick Francis novel, that I know I heard years ago (I mean, I own it, no question I’d listened to every word). I was so excited halfway through the second chapter, when it dawned on me that I had no idea what was going to happen. I love getting old! Now I can be entertained by old books/shows/movies all over again. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/10 "2021-05-07T18:10:25Z")
I’ll forget some details quickly. Then after some period of time, several years usually, I’ll forget most of the rest of the details. That’s when I’m willing to watch a series again. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/11 "2021-05-07T18:38:30Z")
Mrs. Martian and I re-watch the previous season of _Better Call Saul_ just before a new season drops just to refresh our memories of what happened. Long intervals between seasons doesn’t help either. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/12 "2021-05-07T19:10:13Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > My weakness is character names. I can watch an entire season and still not remember names. I’m terrible at remembering character names as well. So if I try to read an online recap in preparation for an upcoming season, and they mention a character by name, it means nothing to me. Sometimes I can figure out what character they’re talking about based on context. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/13 "2021-05-07T19:15:58Z")
Yeah, that’s why I rarely get involved in show discussions on this board. It’s hard to follow along when people are discussing certain characters. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/14 "2021-05-07T19:34:20Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Like Sopranos, I watched the entire series and can’t remember a single name. Except maybe Joey, and that only bc it’s a mafia show so of course they have a Joey. I don’t think there is a main recurring character in the Sopranos named Joey. There’s: Tony Silvio Pussy Paulie Christopher, Chris, Chrissy Junior AJ Johnny Sacs Richie Artie Bobby Vito Hesh Mikey No Joey ---
**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:** [May 7, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/15 "2021-05-07T19:37:46Z")
Lol. Well there you have it. Proof positive I’m horrible with names. (Was probably thinking of Paulie) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/16 "2021-05-07T22:07:47Z")
There are shows that I’ve watched every episode when I was a kid, and I can’t even remember a single plot point. Maybe they were just nothing plots. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/17 "2021-05-07T22:34:19Z")
I find it easier to remember books. I can usually recognize a book I’ve read from the first two pages. I don’t remember all the details but I know I’ve read it. I never remember details from TV shows or movies. It’s hard remembering if I saw that episode or something similar. There’s too many to keep straight. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2021, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/18 "2021-05-07T23:11:19Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Lol. Well there you have it. Proof positive I’m horrible with names. (Was probably thinking of Paulie) No, you were probably thinking of Ralph Cifaretto, played by **Joey Pants**. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2021, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/19 "2021-05-08T00:18:42Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > There are shows that I’ve watched every episode when I was a kid, and I can’t even remember a single plot point. Maybe they were just nothing plots. Interestingly, I often remember the things I saw as a kid better than the things I saw more recently. I can quote you chapter and verse of the first dozen or so seasons of The Simpsons, but I can rewatch shows from 5-10 years ago and only vaguely remember anything. P ---
**Author:** ![tinytantan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tinytantan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tinytantan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595/20 "2021-05-12T06:12:39Z")
This happens to me if I binge watch on Netflix but for some reason, this excludes FRIENDS since I only watched that once but I remember almost all scenes! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-remembering-details-of-past-series-you-watched/941595.md?page=2)