Binge Watching

[colls]

Let's talk binge watching! Personally binge watching is one of my all time favorite rainy day activities, it ranks right up there with getting-my-nose-stuck-in-a-book and playing Cards Against Humanity in my pajamas with a pack of friends, wine and pizza (am I over-sharing?).

Anyway, yourlibrarian recently linked this article (thanks for the suggestion!) Skip It: Why It’s O.K. to Start a TV Show in the Middle. What are your thoughts? Are you a purist and watch the entire show, in order? Or do you skip ahead to the good parts? Is the answer different if it's something you've watched before?

- Do you binge watch? If not, why not?
- What makes a show binge-watchable to you?
- How many of the 40 best shows to binge watch July 2017 have you seen? How many of these Best TV Shows of 2017 (so far) have you seen (or heard of)?
- Recruit and Recommend!! What are your top 3 binge-worthy shows?

Comments

[alorarose]

If the show is episodic, like crime and medical procedurals, I can jump in in the middle. Eventually I'll want to see all the epsiodes. Like I am almost done with my Blue Bloods rewatch, I've done NCIS rewatches from the beginning, and other shows. But each episode stands on its own even if there is an overall arc. Shows that are not episodic I cannot start in the middle. I need to start from the beginning of the show, or at least the beginning of the season, because there is so much I missed and don't know about. Doing this is a lot easier NOW that we have streaming services, but years ago, this was impossible and there were a lot of shows I didn't watch because of it. If it's a show I've seen all of, I can skip around and watch only certain episodes. Do THAT all the time.

-Do you binge watch? I do indeed, haha. Mostly it's to get caught up with a currently airing show, or to watch a show that has completed. It's something to do while I'm crocheting and it's relaxing.

- What makes a show binge-watchable to you? Well, the good thing about binge watching is that when the plot moves more slowly, you don't notice it if you're watching an entire season in a weekend. But what really makes a show bingeable to me is when each episode leaves you wanting more, wanting to know what happens next. Or if they show is episodic in that you can even watch them out of order and still want to keep going.

- How many of the 40 best shows to binge watch July 2017 have you seen? 11/40
Seen every episode: Daredevil, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Jessica Jones, Haven ( <333333!!!)
Seen but not seen every epsiode: Fuller House, Arrow, Hemlock Grove, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Burn Notice, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Some on this list I have no interest in watching.

How many of these Best TV Shows of 2017 (so far) have you seen (or heard of)?
Seen: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Big Little Lies, The Americans, Master of None ( <333!), Game of Thrones
Heard of: Fargo, Sneaky Pete, American Gods, The leftovers

Honestly did not know some of those existed.

- Recruit and Recommend!! What are your top 3 binge-worthy shows?
Big Little Lies. I want to read the book now to see if it can add any more to all the details. This was a really nicely done murder mystery with an amazing cast and it always kept me guessing.

The Good Wife, if you haven't already. I just finished the whole thing. I'm a sucker for good law procedurals.

Haven, at least through season 4. That show was the love of my life *happy sigh* Things got weird in the later seasons, but seasons 1 and 2 are good for your typical monster of the week shows and the friendships between the main characters just add to it. Love that cast to pieces.

[shadowkat]

Are you a purist and watch the entire show, in order? Or do you skip ahead to the good parts? Is the answer different if it's something you've watched before?

Depends on the tv show. If I've seen it before? I'll skip around. If it is a situation comedy, a procedural or episodic in nature? I'll watch in the middle. If it is progressive episodic -- this means the characters change and evolve and the mystery of the week isn't as vital as the character relationships? I watch from the beginning. If it is a serial -- always from the beginning, because usually it will reference earlier episodes.

Do you binge watch? - Yes. Actually enjoy it, when time permits.

What makes a show binge-watchable to you? Suspenseful, with an on-going serialized story, where each episode feels like a chapter in a novel. Episodic or progressive series are less binge-watchable. Example? Longmire isn't great for binge-watching in the early seasons, later seasons, yes. Supernatural? Not the best for binge-watching. But Sense 8 -- perfect for Binge-Watching.

How many of the 40 best shows to binge watch July 2017 have you seen? How many of these Best TV Shows of 2017 (so far) have you seen (or heard of)?

Eh..roughly a third of them.

Watched all the way through: Sense8, The Crown, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Stranger Things, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Sherlock

Watched a season or two...but watch all of it: Orange is the New Black (just S1), Burn Notice(S1-2), Queer As Folk( S1), The Walking Dead (S1-3), The Magicians (S1), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (half of S1), Arrow (S1-3), Grace & Frankie (S1), Bloodline (S1), Haven (1 episode), American Crime (1 episode), Penny Dreadful (half an episode)

Recruit and Recommend!! What are your top 3 binge-worthy shows?

Farscape -- best sci-fi. Innovative. You do, however, have to get through the first fifteen or so episodes of the first season...then it just takes off. Also make sure you see the two hour movie that wraps the series up entitled The Peacekeeper Wars

The Good Wife -- great series, does take a while to take off.

The Wire --- also takes a while to get into.

[china_shop]

I usually only start in the middle if someone's warned me that the bit I'm skipping is bad/overly violent/whatever but the rest of the show is worth it. For re-watches, I'll sometimes skip ahead to the bits I like, but then I'm less likely to watch the whole thing -- it's more like selected highlights.

Do you binge watch? If not, why not? It depends what counts as binge-watching. My partner and I tend to watch something all the way through in one gulp, but usually at a rate of only one to three eps a night. I watch Korean dramas compulsively, but even then, I'm not a chew-my-way-through-ten-eps-at-a-time type. Most of the time.

I did just watch a 16-hour Kdrama in a week, which is fast for me.

What makes a show binge-watchable to you? Characters I like, a plot or world that keeps me engaged. If it's western TV, someone to watch with.

How many of the 40 best shows to binge watch July 2017 have you seen? How many of these Best TV Shows of 2017 (so far) have you seen (or heard of)?
Seen all of Stranger Things, The Get Down, Freaks and Geeks, Sense8.
Watched one or two episodes of Grace and Frankie, Daredevil, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Burn Notice, Breaking Bad.
Watched half a season to several seasons of Luke Cage, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black (need to catch up on this!), Sherlock, Penny Dreadful, Luther.
And I think I saw all but the last season of Haven. (I stopped when Audrey stopped being Audrey.)

The only Best Shows I've watched are American Gods and the first few eps of Master of None. (I'll watch more of the latter, but the friend I'm watching with has been sick.)

Recruit and Recommend!! What are your top 3 binge-worthy shows?
All Korean dramas:
- Healer, which is about secret identities, political/corporate corruption, and journalism for greater justice; also romance
- My Name is Kim Bok Joo, about a weightlifter at a sports university dealing with her insecurities about love and attractiveness; SO ADORABLE!
- I Can Hear Your Voice, a ridiculous noona romance (older woman, younger guy) with telepathy, amnesia, and various other tropes; it's not the best show I've seen, but there was something about the cliffhangers where I just couldn't stop watching.

For non-Korean stuff: Farscape (Australians in spaaaace! incredible but extremely uneven space opera), My So-Called Life (amazing high-school show with a young Claire Danes), Lewis (British cosy murder series with great cast).

[china_shop]

The Good Wife! The first few seasons were so GOOD!! How was the last season?

And yes, Haven! I should rewatch that. (Ooh, and Eureka. I should revisit that one, too.)

[china_shop]

*seconds all your recs*

[alorarose]

The first seasons were amazing. I loved it and I loved Will and Kalindra and Carey and god do I love Eli. The last season was okay. They totally got off track with Alicia running for State's Attorney and it ruined what she'd had before and ugh Peter. They had all these plot lines running around that didn't make sense and there wasn't any resolution to a few of them, understandably, and other things made no sense, and ugh.

I want a spinoff where Eli and Marissa conquer the world. I'd love that.

Haven too. They got all crazy somewhere in season 4 and it was all weird and I just missed my gang fighting troubles and bickering and Duke being all snarky.

[alorarose]

The Farscape fandom literally changed my life for the better. I am still friends with so many of them after 15 years and it's just amazing. I actually got together with a scaper friend yesterday who I hadn't seen in person since the second scapercon in 2002.

Claudia Black pops up in two episodes of Haven. I was MOST pleased.

To those who take up this recommendation of Farscape, after the last episode of season 4, imagine that we, at the time, were not getting ANY more and imagine how drunk much of the fandom got :D I can't believe that was 14 years ago.

[alorarose]

Have you watched Lookout? I saw a few episodes and I need to sit down and watch the whole thing. I was visiting a friend who has a Korean roommate and we were in the room while she and her father were watching this kdrama and I just got drawn right in. I have been DYING for someone to talk to about it, haha.

[yourlibrarian]

I do think it's ok to start in the middle, especially if you're sure a person will like the show and it's important to hook them with what they'll like. I know that there has been a lot of debate about that regarding Buffy. I would show them Hush but I wouldn't start with the musical or The Body because there may be standout episodes that require either emotional investment or some appreciation of plot arcs.

I know that I tried watching Supernatural twice but just found it pedestrian. However by chance I watched an episode halfway through S2 and it finally clicked. I also started watching Buffy in S4, then went back to watch the earlier seasons. I think it's actually easier these days to start from the beginning if you want to. Ten years ago, chances are good you either came in late or caught something in syndication so even having the option is pretty new.

> Do you binge watch? If not, why not?

It depends on what counts as binge watching. I do consider it binging if I'm watching 3 or more episodes a day but not all days lend themselves to that. I have definitely been caught up in shows I came to late and blown through several seasons over a few weeks.

> How many of the 40 best shows to binge watch July 2017 have you seen?

Tried Marco Polo, couldn't get past 6 episodes, same with Grace & Frankie. Saw 4 seasons of Arrow, lost interest in their circular plots and lack of character development. I got through 1 season of Daredevil, but it never grabbed me, I just kept waiting for it to improve. Watched all of Jessica Jones, I thought it started great but I got very impatient by the end. Not sure I'd go back for a S2. Have watched all of House of Cards, was losing interest in S3 but it grabbed me back. Tried Orange and got about 3 episodes in but there's just too much else to see. I tried 1 episode of Burn Notice and forgot about it. I watched all of Travelers S1 and want to see S2 but I thought it was uneven. I started Luther some time ago but only got 2 episodes in. Kept meaning to return and watch more but just haven't. Watched all of Stranger Things and liked it. Got as far as S1 of CEG but haven't caught up yet. Have watched all of Last Tango to date, like it a lot, ditto with The Crown. Thought S1 of Sense8 was too meandering and slow but hit its stride in S2. Watched all of Queer as Folk, tried Sons of Anarchy but couldn't get into it. Have seen all of Sherlock but hope that's the end of it because I don't consider it worth watching past S2 + the Victorian Christmas episode.

Mad Men was just so interesting I couldn't stop watching, the most bingeable to me of these because I wasn't even that taken with the first episode and yet I kept going back for more.

> How many of these Best TV Shows of 2017 (so far) have you seen (or heard of)?

I've seen Legion and Dear White People and would recommend both. I haven't heard of quite a few and I see that many are not on cable networks but separate pay channels.

> Recruit and Recommend!! What are your top 3 binge-worthy shows?

I don't know about "all time" binges but I would recommend Westworld, Black Sails, and Broadchurch as recent options.

[used_songs]

I usually start several episodes in because someone has finally talked me into watching a show and has told me where to start. That’s what happened with Lost (though I did go back and watch the beginning).

Do you binge watch? If not, why not? Yes. Especially in the summer when it’s super hot out and I have time. I love Netflix.

What makes a show binge-watchable to you? If the characters in a show change and develop in interesting ways, I am more likely to binge watch that show.

How many of the 40 best shows to binge watch July 2017 have you seen? How many of these Best TV Shows of 2017 (so far) have you seen (or heard of)?
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None – my wife and I knocked both of these out over the course of a couple of days. She picked Kimmy Schmidt and I picked Master of None and they were both great.

House of Cards – we watch it as fast as they can get the seasons up. My wife and I are both history teachers and love following political stuff (even when it’s all bad news), so this is the perfect show for us. Binge watching this one is good because it helps you to follow the plot.

Jessica Jones, The Get Down, Luke Cage, Luther, Skins, Burn Notice – slower going because my wife isn’t watching any of these and we tend to mostly watch TV together.

Grace & Frankie – this is one of our current binge-shows. Originally, it was to give us a break from Ozarks, but it has really grown on me.

Stranger Things – we watched all of it in two days. Loved it.

Breaking Bad – we watched the entire show over the course of a few months, a few episodes at a time. It got really intense and we slowed down toward the end, but we finished it. I’ve tried Better Call Saul but I can’t seem to get hooked in the same way.

Sherlock – I’ve watched all of these … by myself.

Recruit and Recommend!! What are your top 3 binge-worthy shows?
Mr. Robot – my favorite show. The characters are interesting, the narrator is unreliable, and the plot is convoluted. Also, it’s shot like a movie – a lot of attention paid to the way characters are framed – and the music in every single episode is on point.

The Great British Bake Off - I get so attached to the contestants.

Jane the Virgin – if you like self-aware, funny telenovelas this is the show for you.

[yourlibrarian]

Aw, I really liked Lewis too and will miss it. Always meant to try My So called Life and haven't yet.

[yourlibrarian]

OMG yes, The Wire. I don't know if I can recommend binging on it because there is a LOT there. I don't know that I ever watched more than 2 in a row. But I think it deserves all its applause.

I tried watching Good Wife recently and discovered it wasn't on Netflix.

[yourlibrarian]

Honestly did not know some of those existed.

I'd be amazed if anyone who, if presented with a random list of shows from the past year, could claim they'd heard of them all. I don't see how it's possible anymore. And that's especially true when you count the mess of "reality" shows out there. I remember a few years ago being baffled by references to Cake Wars. I was like...(see icon)

[yourlibrarian]

Binge watching this one is good because it helps you to follow the plot.

That's a good point. When they release new seasons we don't necessarily see it immediately but I do prefer to see the whole thing over 2 weeks or so. I think that there are an increasing number of shows where the plot is complicated enough that you want to see it in a short time. Westworld is another one like that, complicated plot and also a large cast.

[used_songs]

I think that's where I went wrong with Westworld. I watched a few episodes but had a lot of trouble keeping track of everything.

[alorarose]

Oh man, I LOVE Cake Wars!!! I can barely bake a cake so I'm just in AWE of them!

Some of the shows on that list weren't new, which was why I was baffled. There's just SO much content these days and not enough hours to watch it all in! As I'm sitting here rewatching Blue Bloods *cough* I'm on my third episode of the night.

[alorarose]

Inre: The Good Wife. Yeah, it's on Hulu though! I got a subscription just so I can watch it ahhaha, I am horrible with my finances.

[shadowkat]

I think The Good Wife is on Amazon Prime. You do have to get past the first half of the first season though, it starts out as a legal procedural, and then slowly becomes a crisp legal satire.

I binged The Wire over the course of four to five weeks one summer. And didn't binge more than two in a row. Because you are right, there is a lot there. It's a five course meal, as opposed to hors-doevre or desert. Part political satire, part police procedural, part crime drama, part social psychology experiment, part socio-economical satire...and noir crime satire. Hilariously funny in places and tragic in others. Also possibly the most racially diverse cast.

By the far the best written police procedural and crime drama that I've ever seen. Sort of ruins you for the genre, though.

[shadowkat]

I had a lot of people rec Farscape to me, before I attempted it. One friend pushed me hard, and it was impossible to find..but then Syfy decided to wrap up the series with a two hour movie, and right before they did -- they decided to broadcast every day the entire series. So I just recorded it on VHS (no DVDs or DVR back then). Then after I watched it, and fell head over heels in love with it...I forked over about $50 bucks and bought the DVDs as a Xmas present to myself.

I remember being on Buffy fanboards when it was on...and various Buffy fans were into it, and very very upset over the cancellation. It's cancellation was actually worse than Sense8. And like Sense8 they fans forced the network and creators to reconsider and provide a two hour movie wrap-up.

Showed how fans can make a difference in a positive way.

After I fell in love with it, I got frustrated...because I wanted more. I kept following Claudia Black and Ben Browder around. (I fell in love with Aeryn and John Crichton, best OTP ever.)

But I came late to the party, so it was hard to find any fanfic or discussion of it by the time I saw it.

Buffy was the fandom that changed my life, so I totally get that. Still in contact with many of the people I met on a Buffy fanboard in 2002.

[shadowkat]

do think it's ok to start in the middle, especially if you're sure a person will like the show and it's important to hook them with what they'll like. I know that there has been a lot of debate about that regarding Buffy. I would show them Hush but I wouldn't start with the musical or The Body because there may be standout episodes that require either emotional investment or some appreciation of plot arcs.

I'd agree. For Buffy? I'd start people with S2. S1 is a bit of a wash. I barely made it through S1.

My mother gave it a try with the musical episode and was impressed and surprised by it. She thought it was something else and didn't understand why I loved it.

Supernatural? I had similar experience. I tried a couple of episodes in the first season, was unimpressed. Then came back again and tried something in the second season, got hooked for a while...or until S9. (I honestly think all television series should stop around 5-6 seasons, after a bit they start to repeat themselves. That of course doesn't prevent me from continuing to watch some of them.) ;-)

Regarding 40 best shows tried to binge...

Yeah, I tried 3-4 seasons of the Arrow, and lost interest for the same reasons you did. I felt they were going in a circle.

Also tried Sons of Anarchy, but couldn't get into it, and Sherlock really isn't that good past the Victorian Christmas episode. Although there was one episode in there written by Moffat that I enjoyed.

[adafrog]

I am one of those that freaks out at the thought of starting in the middle. OTOH I have been finding it hard to get into some shows so that article was kind of a breath of fresh air for me. I may try that with some shows. (especially since the time I have to watch is slightly limited)

Funny enough I only tend to binge watch when I'm watching with other people. At my sister's last year we watched several eps of Arrow. Then when my parents were here earlier this summer we watched Twin Peaks through to the first few eps of season 2. But one they left, I stopped watching. lol More fun with a crowd to discuss with, I guess.

Heck, I haven't heard of most of those shows in the first list. I have heard of many of them on the second list. Haven't watched any of them as I'm not too keen on drama anymore.

[adafrog]

Binge watching really does help you with a complicated plot. Very true.

[shadowkat]

Westworld is really hard to keep track of, unless you binge-watch it. I watched the first five episodes separately, but binge-watched the last group over the course of a weekend, and it made more sense as a binge.

The difficulty with it is they tell the story out of order.
It's not a linear narrative structure. And they don't tell you when you are. There's no obvious markers. No obvious clues. Just a few hints here and there, and you really have to pay close attention to it. It expects a lot from the casual viewer. Once I figured out that the story thread with Dolorous and the cowboys was in the distant past, I was able to follow it.

It's actually my main criticism of the series -- it's hard to follow.

[adafrog]

Farscape! Despite having La Femme Nikita friends who were big into it and the saving of it when it was on, I never got into it until several years later. lol Did the same with Buffy. *shrugs*
Loved Farscape once I watched it.

[shadowkat]

Second the Great British Bake Off (entitled Great British Baking Show in the US due to copyright infringement issues with Pillsbury Bake Off.) -- My favorite comfort series.

Agreed on Better Call Saul. While I enjoyed and finished Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul just couldn't grab me, it may be that I didn't like the characters or they didn't resonate. Don't quite know why.