Binge-Watching a TV Series (Good or bad for viewing experience?)

Jovialis

Jovialis

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Recently, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator Joss Whedon aired his grievances about the post-Netflix trend of binge-watching. More specifically, he argued that the release of full seasons of TV series in one big lump is narratively problematic and can bastardise the viewing experience. On the topic of gorging on a narrative, he opined, “It loses its power, and we lose something with it.”
It would be over-simplifying things to whittle down Whedon's many-hued opinion into a black-and-white objection. It's obvious the cult showrunner isn't squarely in the anti-binge brigade, but instead is still negotiating his feelings on the future of episodic television.
And his concerns aren’t without merit. Here are some of the ways binge-watching is (and isn’t) messing with television.
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Speaking of suffocating, as Breaking Bad didn’t reach the height of its popularity until four years into its run, many latecomers caught up by devouring Walter White’s transformation in a condensed time frame. For every rabid fan, you’d find another who felt their emotional receptors tire and fizzle — unable to handle the show’s unrelenting zip-line towards tragedy.


When watched as released, over the six years it took to tell the tale, Breaking Bad registered as the saga it was intended to be and allowed White’s transformation to feel earned. Again, the deliciously frustrating week-to-week and year-to-year anticipation became a coveted part of the viewer’s journey.

https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2017/03/20/does-binge-watching-ruin-tv
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I don't think binge-watching is a bad thing at all. As a matter of fact, it may help put the quality of the show into better perspective.

Some shows have "filler-episodes", that may be "excused" by loyal fans. In hopes of the following episode to redeem their interest in it. Perhaps forcing themselves to watch the show, because of the time they've invested over the years. It's almost like rooting for a team that doesn't play very well, and hoping they will win next time.

If I can binge watch a TV-series; odds are it's worth my time, and the majority of the episodes are riveting. For example, it took me two weeks to finish Breaking Bad, and I thought it was an excellent show. I felt invested in the characters, and the story. I was completely satisfied with the viewing experience.
 
Jovialis said:
I don't think binge-watching is a bad thing at all. As a matter of fact, it may help put the quality of the show into better perspective.

Some shows have "filler-episodes", that may be "excused" by loyal fans. In hopes of the following episode to redeem their interest in it. Perhaps forcing themselves to watch the show, because of the time they've invested over the years. It's almost like rooting for a team that doesn't play very well, and hoping they will win next time.

If I can binge watch a TV-series; odds are it's worth my time, and the majority of the episodes are riveting. For example, it took me two weeks to finish Breaking Bad, and I thought it was an excellent show. I felt invested in the characters, and the story. I was completely satisfied with the viewing experience.
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I like binge watching too.

One big reason is that I can't program my life to be in front of a tv at the same exact day and time every week. I only do that when I'm really invested, as in The Walking Dead. Otherwise, I'll miss episodes, and then I lose interest in the whole series and stop watching.

Also, I find that if there's a week's break in between episodes, there's also a break in my interest, whereas if I'm binging it, I stay in its thrall, as it were.

I can't believe this guy is talking about a narrative arc in a show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer but maybe I'm doing the show an injustice. I only saw one episode in my life.

The most important reason they're a good idea is the reason you give: sometimes you're not even aware of a show until it's three years old.
 
Angela said:
I like binge watching too.

One big reason is that I can't program my life to be in front of a tv at the same exact day and time every week. I only do that when I'm really invested, as in The Walking Dead. Otherwise, I'll miss episodes, and then I lose interest in the whole series and stop watching.

Also, I find that if there's a week's break in between episodes, there's also a break in my interest, whereas if I'm binging it, I stay in its thrall, as it were.

I can't believe this guy is talking about a narrative arc in a show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer but maybe I'm doing the show an injustice. I only saw one episode in my life.

The most important reason they're a good idea is the reason you give: sometimes you're not even aware of a show until it's three years old.
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I lose interest as well, if there's an extended break. I like it when nearly every part of the story builds up to the very end of the season. I think that's the mark of good story telling. Making the viewer pay attention to the nuances. Or something that seemed unimportant to the plot, creates a twist later on. For shows like that, I will be very likely to binge-watch.

Some others shows have episodes that you don't even need to watch, to understand how it all ends. Those are the one's I eventually lose interest in.

I've seen a couple episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it was akin to a campy show like Xena, or Hercules.
 
Jovialis said:
I lose interest as well, if there's an extended break. I like it when nearly every part of the story builds up to the very end of the season. I think that's the mark of good story telling. Making the viewer pay attention to the nuances. Or something that seemed unimportant to the plot, creates an twist later on. For shows like that, I will being very likely to binge-watch.

Some others shows have episodes that you don't even need to watch, to understand how it all ends. Those are the one's I eventually lose interest in.

I've seen a couple episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it was akin to a campy show like Xena, or Hercules.
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Yeah, I thought it might be.

One thing I don't watch on regular tv or Netflix is situation comedies. I'm just not into it. There are only a few that I liked a bit, and that was Everybody Loves Raymond and King of Queens.

I know it's practically heresy, but it took me a long time to get into Seinfeld: they just seemed like such really shallow, kind of nasty people. Same with Friends. If someone else was watching, I would watch, but I never really got into them.

Oh, I used to watch Frazier occasionally, but not a devoted fan or anything.

My favorites are mysteries and crime procedurals, and I especially like some of the British ones like The Fall, or Broadchurch or Happy Valley. I like Shimmer Lake and The Killing, too, just to name a few, and I binge watched all of them. I'm the same with thriller novels. I don't start one until I know I have a lot of time, because I know it will be so hard for me to put it down until it's finished.
 
I also binge watch series. I cancelled my TV subscription a couple of years ago as I much prefer TV on demand like Netflix. I don't like to sit in front of the TV and have to check what's showing now or later today. I have never understood how some people can spend hours just zapping through channels all the time. I watch TV when I have time or need to relax.

I can spend weeks without watching TV, but also a full week watching TV series for 3 or 4 hours a day (which feels like a really big indulgence on my part) if I feel listless in a dark winter period. In fact I almost exclusively watch series these days and I wouldn't watch them at all if I couldn't watch several episodes in a row whenever I wanted. Before Netflix I only watched series on DVD. But in general I spend more time reading than watching TV.

My favourite series are (in no particular order):

Historical: Vikings, Last Kingdom, The Tudors, The Borgias, Marco Polo, Rome, Downton Abbey, The Crown, Blacksails
Sitcoms: The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Friends (I love these four but I am yet to find other sitcoms that I like as humour isn't universal)
Medical: House M.D.
Legal: Suits, The Good Wife, Boston Legal
Police/crime: White Collar, Weeds

I sometimes watch action/suspense or political series too (The Blacklist, Scorpion, House of Cards, Designated Survivor, 24...) but the quality of the episodes tend to vary a lot. The plot usually too predictable for there to be any real suspense, and at times the events are too exaggerated to be believable, which is annoying.

I can't stand supernatural films/series like superheroes. I am also not a big fan or sci-fi or fantasy like Games of Thrones.
 
Maciamo said:
I also binge watch series. I cancelled my TV subscription a couple of years ago as I much prefer TV on demand like Netflix. I don't like to sit in front of the TV and have to check what's showing now or later today. I have never understood how some people can spend hours just zapping through channels all the time. I watch TV when I have time or need to relax.

I can spend weeks without watching TV, but also a full week watching TV series for 3 or 4 hours a day (which feels like a really big indulgence on my part) if I feel listless in a dark winter period. In fact I almost exclusively watch series these days and I wouldn't watch them at all if I couldn't watch several episodes in a row whenever I wanted. Before Netflix I only watched series on DVD. But in general I spend more time reading than watching TV.

My favourite series are (in no particular order):

Historical: Vikings, Last Kingdom, The Tudors, The Borgias, Marco Polo, Rome, Downton Abbey, The Crown, Blacksails
Sitcoms: The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Friends (I love these four but I am yet to find other sitcoms that I like as humour isn't universal)
Medical: House M.D.
Legal: Suits, The Good Wife, Boston Legal
Police/crime: White Collar, Weeds

I sometimes watch action/suspense or political series too (The Blacklist, Scorpion, House of Cards, Designated Survivor, 24...) but the quality of the episodes tend to vary a lot. The plot usually too predictable for there to be any real suspense, and at times the events are too exaggerated to be believable, which is annoying.

I can't stand supernatural films/series like superheroes. I am also not a big fan or sci-fi or fantasy like Games of Thrones.
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I also watched all those historical ones.
 
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