# Something I learned today: I cannot binge watch shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 7, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246 "2018-08-07T19:44:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/21 "2018-08-08T10:29:58Z")
I prefer to binge watch. For example, I recently quit watching “Cloak and Dagger” because I got tired of watching on episode a week. Now that it’s done, I’ll wrap up the series on Hulu. I also have a thing I do called “The Couch Potato Workout” where I do 4 exercises for 20 reps each per episode. I binged the previous season of “Blue Bloods” last weekend and I’m still sore in places - 22 episodes was pushing things. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/22 "2018-08-08T12:06:05Z")
I star at binge watching. When Netflix told my the new season of **OITNB** was released, I skipped out of work early, went home, and watched the season. I do the same with most series. I had never seen a single episode of **Criminal Minds**. I don’t think I’d even heard of it. It took a while, but I just finished bingewatching 12 seasons worth of the show. _That_ was weird. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/23 "2018-08-08T12:29:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It depends on the show. There’ve been very few shows I’ve binge watched. The first I remember doing this with was _Arrested Development_. I discovered the series somewhere midway through season two, so in two days, I watched around 30 episodes to get to the point of the season the series was currently in. While I know that may still be considered binge watching, I [personally] wouldn’t consider it that. You’re not watching for the sake of watching, you’re watching to catch up. When I first got a TiVo, before Netflix had streaming, I would do that to catch up on shows as well. If I found out about a new show midway through it’s run, I would tell the TiVo to record every single episode. Typically, by the time the next season started, I’d have all the reruns, plus the season that just ran and I’d be ready to go for the next one. As far as normal binge watching, I can usually only do that for half hour sitcoms. Hour long shows, especially if they’re not funny (that is, they’re more drama), I can usually do 3 or 4. Half hour sitcoms, I can watch all night. Six Feet Under, I’ve never been able to watch more than one in a day. It’s too emotionally draining. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/24 "2018-08-08T12:33:02Z")
Growing up I never had “a show.” You know, one you watch without fail week after week. All my friends had their shows and would talk about them when they got together. I felt like I was missing something. But when I would try to get into a show, I would invariably miss a week here or there, and then be completely lost when I tried to pick it up again. There were just too many characters and side-plots for me to keep up with. So when I started seeing popular shows pop up on streaming services, I pounced. For instance, it wasn’t until James Gandolfini had been dead for three years that I _started_ watching **The Sopranos**. Watched the entire seven year run in about a month. It never got old and was addicting in a way. That’s the first series I ever binge watched an entire season, let alone series. Now, I can’t go back. When I’m done with one series, I’ll browse for a new one and repeat the process. Currently binge watching **Dexter**. Made it through nine episodes in two days so far. ---
**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:** [August 8, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/25 "2018-08-08T13:38:37Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I can. But I’ve always wondered why Netflix doesn’t give you the option to create a playlist. Maybe instead of 20 episodes of “30 Rock” I want an episode of that, then an episode of some other show, then this, then that, and another couple hours of episodes of other stuff before we get back to “30 Rock.” > > Sort of like curating your own TV stations. Wouldn’t that be cool? > > Amazon Video doesn’t do this either. Does Hulu? How about iTunes streaming or YouTube Red? Thank you! I’ve been wanting this for ages. Hulu doesn’t, YT does. I’d also like to be able to pick a show, and then have Netflix do a random shuffle. (Mainly for shows I have already seen like STNG) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/26 "2018-08-08T13:51:56Z")
If I’m in the right mood, I can binge for a few hours, but even shows that I like get old after that. Like ice cream - I lurves me some ice cream, but after the second or third gallon, it just doesn’t appeal… :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/27 "2018-08-08T14:33:16Z")
I like to watch an episode per day - maybe 2 at the most. If it’s something I REALLY like I don’t want it to be over! So I kind of savor it. I remember I started watching Bloodline at the same time my boss and his wife did. I watched an episode each evening or every other evening. It was spring and up here in Minnesota when you finally get the first nice spring/summery day you don’t squander it. We had the first beautiful day and it happened to land on a Saturday. I was outside all day - sunny, mid 70’s. After a long winter, it feels like you’ve gone to heaven. On the following Monday, my boss tells me that he and his wife watched the entire season of Bloodline on Saturday. He said, “we started around noon and finished at midnight”. I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/28 "2018-08-08T14:36:31Z")
I’ve been stuck on the couch for the last 5 weeks, so I’ve binge-watched quite a few shows (Deadwood, Terriers, Breaking Bad, Silicon Valley, Parks and Recreation, etc). I’m only half paying attention as I’m on the 'net at the same time, reading the Dope and looking up trivia on the shows I’m watching. It’s fun checking out all of the locations that Breaking Bad used in and around ABQ. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/29 "2018-08-08T16:20:00Z")
**Sir T-Cups** : You’ve learned only that you can’t binge watch _that_ series. Some series are good for binge watching, others not so much\*. _30 Rock_ isn’t doing it for you. For me, I’ve watched as many as 3 drama episodes in a row. But I’m _really_ into paying attention. So I start noticing goofs: E.g., “Hey, that pen was in their other hand just before they walked into the room.” Casual watching means not binge watching for me. - Yes, we are now semi-binge watching _Mad About You_, one episode a night. Why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/30 "2018-08-08T16:23:56Z")
This is probably more true than anything else. I probably could find a show to binge if I really tried. The thing is I’m not into Peak TV enough to want to find a new series and binge it. I also most definitely don’t have the time, but that’s a different issue altogether ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/31 "2018-08-08T16:49:47Z")
I binge-watched _Breaking Bad_ a few episodes before the finale to catch up. I saw the finale as it aired. I missed most of season one when it was first broadcast and just let it slip by even though friends and family kept telling me how good it was. The more I missed the less I felt like catching up. I’m really glad I did though! _Mad Men_ is another one I missed that I keep thinking I’ll binge watch, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Obviously, I’m **not** a hardcore binge watcher. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/32 "2018-08-09T02:02:20Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I also most definitely don’t have the time, but that’s a different issue altogether I don’t think it is. I watch (listen to, I don’t really watch unless there’s no dialogue and I don’t know what’s happening) a LOT of TV shows, but that’s because I am not well and spend a lot of time lying about. When I was ok, I couldn’t have borne sitting there for hours, I’d have wanted to be doing other things. I think having other things to do is definitely something that is “contra-binge”. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/33 "2018-08-09T02:08:52Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Can you binge watch? Yes, I can, but IMO “binge watching” doesn’t mean “watch only this show and do nothing else” it means “watch nothing but this show WHEN YOU WATCH SOMETHING”. It takes me a couple of weeks, sometimes, to “binge” thru a season of GoT, because I watch one every night or two. I don’t think I need to watch 12 hours (or whatever) of TV in one sitting to be “binging” on a particular show; I jut have to be watching that show and only that show when I watch something. ---
**Author:** ![blob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blob/32/489_2.png) [@blob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blob)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/34 "2018-08-09T02:26:32Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I jut have to be watching that show and only that show when I watch something. I “binge” on several shows, I’ll want to stay on the same show if there’s some suspense in the plot and I want to know what happens next, but after a few episodes I’ll usually be ready for a change, particularly if it’s a “harrowing” type of show like Walking Dead or something where you want to switch to something a bit lighthearted to lighten the mood. I do think it depends on the show and what’s happening in it as to whether I want to go straight on to the next episode. 30 Rock doesn’t really qualify, each episode is pretty much self-contained and not a lot of “what happens next” that compels binging it. I agree with ftg about that. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/35 "2018-08-09T03:50:47Z")
Once every few months our cable channel has a free HBO weekend. It’s the only time I binge watch, using the on-demand feature. I’ve see all episodes of Veep and Game of Thrones, for example, without ever subscribing - and it was legal as far as I was concerned. Otherwise, even though I have Netflix and Hulu, it’s hard to watch more that a few shows at a time; I’m a more old-school, one episode per week kind of guy. ---
**Author:** ![Panther\_Modern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@Panther\_Modern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panther_Modern)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/36 "2018-08-09T06:10:54Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > This usually means working at the center table and turning on Netflix and that annoys me. Uhmm, where do you work in which, if the boss leaves, everyone kicks back and watches Netflix? ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/37 "2018-08-09T09:29:02Z")
I do binge and have, but let’s face it. It’s not as good as watching week per week. You forget character’s names, why someone did something to someone else on the side, little details here and there, etc. I remember binge watching Nurse Jackie, and loved it SOOOO much, but couldn’t remember her daughters or ex-husband’s names the following week after I finished the series on a binge. This is what happens, at least for me. So annoying when you want to discuss a show you’ve binged a few weeks later. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/38 "2018-08-09T13:39:58Z")
> [@Panther\_Modern](#): > > Uhmm, where do you work in which, if the boss leaves, everyone kicks back and watches Netflix? In short: A very small office. To be fair, we were all working while the Netflix was happening in the background. The point of doing it was to loosen up the office a bit and have a bit more fun…but work was getting done. ---
**Author:** ![Panther\_Modern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@Panther\_Modern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panther_Modern)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/39 "2018-08-09T14:52:13Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > In short: A very small office. > > To be fair, we were all working while the Netflix was happening in the background. The point of doing it was to loosen up the office a bit and have a bit more fun…but work was getting done. Oh, the joys of working in a small office. I use to work with a three-person SprayFoam website and would often watch Netflix on my lunch breaks, in my office. Good times. Now, I’m part of a 1,000-person company, all of us in the “open office” layout with little to no privacy. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246/40 "2018-08-09T15:10:37Z")
When I watch a TV show, especially one that is a series with a continuing story, I need time to absorb and process what I have seen before I’m ready to move on to the next episode. This is especially true if the show is emotionally gripping. My wife and I were watching House of Cards but I could not watch more than two episodes in one sitting; if we started a third I would forget what I saw in the first one and have trouble tracking what was happening. The same thing is true of reading novels. I have found that if I am really into a book and spend more than 90 minutes at a time reading it, I can’t absorb that much material at a time. The only exception to this was when I started watching Lost in the third season and wanted to catch up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-i-learned-today-i-cannot-binge-watch-shows/819246.md?page=3)