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Started By
Message
I think the current age of immediate media viewing may be harming our experience
Posted on 7/15/14 at 4:57 pm
Posted on 7/15/14 at 4:57 pm
I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I'm sure it has been discussed on here before, but I have not been a part of that thread, if so.
Don't get me wrong, I really like having all the streaming site options that we have now (Netflix, HBO Go, etc.). But I do think it is doing many of us a.....disservice? (I don't know what other word to use to describe it.)
Obviously this is my opinion based on experience, but I do not think one can truly appreciate a great show by binge watching an entire series in a month or two time.
For example, I do not think I would have enjoyed Breaking Bad as much as I did if I binged watched the series all in a short amount of time. Having the anticipation and the build up from week to week between episodes and almost year to year between seasons was really awesome. Add in the fact that we got to talk about each episode here for 60+ pages and analyze and discuss what happened and what we thought would happen next week, and it made the show phenomenal. Watching it live Sunday night with millions of other people and discussing it here with everyone made it feel like I was part of something bigger.
Last year, I watched The Sopranos in a couple months time, and I just didn't really get all the praise that is associated with it. I liked it, I kept watching it, but I didn't really think it was up there as one of the best shows ever like many people say. I think watching it in such a small amount of time played a part in that.
Having time to absorb and contemplate the hour you just watched gives you something extra with a show. When you are knocking out 2-3 episodes at a time in a row, you are missing out on that analysis and thought that goes into it.
What do you think?
Don't get me wrong, I really like having all the streaming site options that we have now (Netflix, HBO Go, etc.). But I do think it is doing many of us a.....disservice? (I don't know what other word to use to describe it.)
Obviously this is my opinion based on experience, but I do not think one can truly appreciate a great show by binge watching an entire series in a month or two time.
For example, I do not think I would have enjoyed Breaking Bad as much as I did if I binged watched the series all in a short amount of time. Having the anticipation and the build up from week to week between episodes and almost year to year between seasons was really awesome. Add in the fact that we got to talk about each episode here for 60+ pages and analyze and discuss what happened and what we thought would happen next week, and it made the show phenomenal. Watching it live Sunday night with millions of other people and discussing it here with everyone made it feel like I was part of something bigger.
Last year, I watched The Sopranos in a couple months time, and I just didn't really get all the praise that is associated with it. I liked it, I kept watching it, but I didn't really think it was up there as one of the best shows ever like many people say. I think watching it in such a small amount of time played a part in that.
Having time to absorb and contemplate the hour you just watched gives you something extra with a show. When you are knocking out 2-3 episodes at a time in a row, you are missing out on that analysis and thought that goes into it.
What do you think?
This post was edited on 7/15/14 at 4:59 pm
17
Posted on 7/15/14 at 5:02 pm to Chair
I felt the complete opposite about Lost. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I was coming here to read what people thought of each episode and discussions for 60 pages, and waiting a week for the next episode. I enjoyed being able to just jump right into the next one.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 5:32 pm to Chair
it's always nice to have options
Posted on 7/15/14 at 5:50 pm to Chair
Completely disagree. I much prefer binge watching. If I have to wait a week for the next show, I will lose interest or it will be a letdown from the anticipation.
I watched Breaking Bad in a span of about a month and it was fantastic.
I watched Breaking Bad in a span of about a month and it was fantastic.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 6:07 pm to Chair
quote:
What do you think?
I think a good show is a good show no matter how you watch it.
I've done both with the same shows before. Say for instance a show will come out and I won't watch the first season or two of it. Then maybe I decide it's a show I want to check out so I'll binge watch the first seasons I missed and then after I'm caught up I'll watch the new seasons weekly as they air. If it's a good show I enjoyed it either way.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 6:25 pm to Chair
quote:
I watched Breaking Bad in a span of about a month and it was fantastic.
+1
Just did the same thing with Arrow
Although I couldn't imagine not watching Lost on its first run. The water cooler experience was the best part.
This post was edited on 7/15/14 at 6:26 pm
Posted on 7/15/14 at 6:29 pm to Chair
You miss out on the speculation, rumors, theories, and anticipation.
The only one worth anything is the anticipation, but let's be honest. How many people are really binge-watching a series that quickly? Breaking bad is 5 seasons of 13 episodes (plus three more in season 5). 45 minutes each.
That's 3060 minutes or 51 hours of television to watch. Sure, you can watch numerous episodes in a row, but I guarantee there's multiple days where a viewer can feel the anticipation of finding out what happens in the next 3 or 4 episodes they'll watch when they get home from work.
The only one worth anything is the anticipation, but let's be honest. How many people are really binge-watching a series that quickly? Breaking bad is 5 seasons of 13 episodes (plus three more in season 5). 45 minutes each.
That's 3060 minutes or 51 hours of television to watch. Sure, you can watch numerous episodes in a row, but I guarantee there's multiple days where a viewer can feel the anticipation of finding out what happens in the next 3 or 4 episodes they'll watch when they get home from work.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 8:38 pm to Chair
Feel opposite. For me, binge watching lets you see them so close together that you appreciate the connections more than waiting weeks, even months, for the next thing.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 8:46 pm to Chair
The AV Club did an article about a year ago on this, basically they said it's changing how tv is written....seasons are now more a single story vs. more purely episodic.
I can dig it either way. Watched LOST every week, loved it. Binge watched BrBa, loved it. If something's good, it's good.
I can dig it either way. Watched LOST every week, loved it. Binge watched BrBa, loved it. If something's good, it's good.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 8:50 pm to ellunchboxo
quote:
I watched Breaking Bad in a span of about a month and it was fantastic.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 8:50 pm to USMCTiger03
quote:
I can dig it either way. Watched LOST every week, loved it. Binge watched BrBa, loved it. If something's good, it's good.
THIS
did the same thing
Posted on 7/15/14 at 8:52 pm to constant cough
quote:
I think a good show is a good show no matter how you watch it.
I agree, although I understand the OP's point about something lost in the anticipation. I've had a hybrid experience with The Shield and Breaking Bad - I binge watched to catch up (and how wonderful at time to live in to give me that option) - then finished both series in real time - while the HBO series The Wire and The Sopranos, I binge watched, sometimes 5 episodes at a clip.
Binge watching is more like reading a novel, while watching it week over week, season over season is a more pure television experience, but a good show is a good, show, period.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 8:53 pm to StringedInstruments
quote:
The only one worth anything is the anticipation, but let's be honest. How many people are really binge-watching a series that quickly? Breaking bad is 5 seasons of 13 episodes (plus three more in season 5). 45 minutes each.
That's 3060 minutes or 51 hours of television to watch. Sure, you can watch numerous episodes in a row, but I guarantee there's multiple days where a viewer can feel the anticipation of finding out what happens in the next 3 or 4 episodes they'll watch when they get home from work.
I'm weird, for a show I really like, I'll only watch the episodes on a movie/scotch/cigar night, which is 1-3 nights a week. So I'm limited by that time-wise. I'll rarely watch them on TV even though I have the channels. I want to savor them.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 8:54 pm to Ace Midnight
Right now I DVR shows and I either wait and catch up quickly just a few days before the finale or I wait until it finishes and then I watch the whole thing over two or three days.
I love it.
I love it.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 8:55 pm to Chair
<~~~~~~~ binge watcher extraordinaire
This post was edited on 7/15/14 at 8:56 pm
Posted on 7/15/14 at 9:48 pm to Chair
If it's a good show it doesn't matter but I get the sentiment. I think I enjoyed Lost more because of the water cooler effect and the speculation from week to week or season to season. I had friends that binge watched Lost and enjoyed it but they weren't as shocked with the season 3 finale and any of the ramifications because they just watched the next episode.
I binge watched The Wire and it's on my short list of great shows. I watched Breaking Bad real time and it's also on the list.
I binge watched The Wire and it's on my short list of great shows. I watched Breaking Bad real time and it's also on the list.
Posted on 7/15/14 at 11:24 pm to Chair
I binge watched all of lost but the last season and all of breaking bad but the last season.
didn't affect my love of either show. they are both fantastic.
didn't affect my love of either show. they are both fantastic.
Posted on 7/16/14 at 8:37 am to Chair
quote:
I do not think I would have enjoyed Breaking Bad as much as I did if I binged watched the series all in a short amount of time.
The flipside to this is I can't imagine watching a series like Stargate SG-1 over 10 years and enjoying it as much as I did in about 2 months of binging. I think the real loss in viewing on your own schedule is that it kills group discussion, see Orange is the New Black. I enjoyed binging seasons 1-3 of GoT to catch up, but Season 4 was enhanced by being able to participate in the weekly threads.
2 other things that are lost in this brave new world are background viewing and stumbling upon something you'd have never thought to watch while channel surfing. I think NetFlix should add a few channels of random stuff already in progress, if you want to watch it from the beginning you can add it to your queue, but sometimes you just want to see your favorite part of a movie you've seen 5 times already and then move onto something else. Or sometimes you want a fluff sitcom running as background noise while you're working on something else.
This post was edited on 7/16/14 at 8:38 am
Posted on 7/16/14 at 11:35 am to TigerinATL
I tend to agree with the OP. While long delays between seasons suck, I really enjoy getting one episode per week, talking with others (either IRL or online) breaking down what we just saw, and anticipating the next episode.
My two favorite shows ever (X-Files and LOST) became mini-events that I would look forward to. For me that is lost with binge viewing b/c everyone is on a different schedule. Now, pretty much the only events are sporting events and series finales.
OTOH, waiting months and months between seasons definitely blows, especially for current cable series where there are only like 8-13 eps per year and they tend to stretch them out in later seasons (cough *Sopranos* cough).
My two favorite shows ever (X-Files and LOST) became mini-events that I would look forward to. For me that is lost with binge viewing b/c everyone is on a different schedule. Now, pretty much the only events are sporting events and series finales.
OTOH, waiting months and months between seasons definitely blows, especially for current cable series where there are only like 8-13 eps per year and they tend to stretch them out in later seasons (cough *Sopranos* cough).
Posted on 7/16/14 at 11:45 am to Chair
It may knock out some of the discussion but not everyone likes to analyze the minutia of every episode.
Some shows, I like to pick to death some I prefer to binge.
I always wait for the season to end for Boardwalk Empire then binge it. This show is pretty straight forward and doesn't need any analysis.
I also like to wait until the end of the season for GOT but that has become impossible because new sites love to put spoilers in the damn headlines.
Lost was a great show to chat about each week, but I also love being able to watch the whole show without the excruciating wait.
I don't think it harms our enjoyment but it certainly is killing the bottom line of content providers when nobody watches the show on the original broadcast date.
Some shows, I like to pick to death some I prefer to binge.
I always wait for the season to end for Boardwalk Empire then binge it. This show is pretty straight forward and doesn't need any analysis.
I also like to wait until the end of the season for GOT but that has become impossible because new sites love to put spoilers in the damn headlines.
Lost was a great show to chat about each week, but I also love being able to watch the whole show without the excruciating wait.
I don't think it harms our enjoyment but it certainly is killing the bottom line of content providers when nobody watches the show on the original broadcast date.
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