Last year, after watching our sixth or seventh consecutive episode of Game of Thrones, my son and I looked at the time and realized it was far beyond when we should have stopped and gone to sleep. We had gotten so deep into the show—driven by cliffhangers and those what-the-hell moments—that before we knew it, we had watched more episodes than we originally intended. That’s the lure of binging. You move further along in a relatively short time, but sometimes you walk away with less than you think.
Back in the day, when you watched television shows, you got to appreciate them. You had the full week to reflect, absorb what you saw, laugh and joke with your friends about it. You’d get to school and relive the drama, or the comedy, and when the next episode came, you were primed. That “last week on…” opening reminded you of what happened, and you carried the excitement forward.
When you binge, you get the full arc without waiting years for payoff. You don’t have to sit through cliffhangers season after season, or wonder if a show will even survive long enough to answer its biggest questions. Seven years of storytelling compressed into seven weeks — you get the fates, the answers, the closure, all in one run.
Now, consider this: When you binge, you tear through episodes like stacking plates at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Sure, you taste everything, but you don’t savor it. You don’t pause to smack your lips in appreciation or think about how good it was—you just rush to the next dish.
In the same way, you watch a show, enjoy it in the moment, but don’t truly reflect on it before you’re on to the next episode.
It’s been seven years since the finale of Game of Thrones in 2019, and my son and I finally caught up last year. Every episode we wanted to talk about, we could only share with each other. If we brought it up with other people, unless it was a huge, iconic moment, most couldn’t recall it in detail. Even if they could, it wasn’t with the same enthusiasm or freshness that we felt. That moment was gone for them.
I remember reading social media while the show was airing, seeing reactions and spoilers roll in. Back then, they meant nothing to me. Once we started watching, those same moments felt brand new, but when we went to talk about them outside our living room, it was like saying, “Guess what I just saw!” and hearing back, “Yeah, tell me something I don’t already know.”
It’s no different than riding on a rollercoaster after everyone else is gone. Everyone has already experienced the thrill, screamed their lungs out, and moved on to other things. You’re still on the ride, hands up, heart racing, but the echoes of joy around you are empty. The magic is there, but the communal spark — the part that makes it unforgettable — is missing.
On top of that, you set yourself up for spoilers—whether intentional or not. Someone may want to relive a detail with you, not realizing it doesn’t happen until the next episode. I’ve been guilty of it myself: a friend recently started Game of Thrones for the first time, brought up something he’d just seen, and I responded with another point… only to realize it didn’t happen until the following episode. I spoiled it without meaning to.
That’s the double edge of binging: yes, you move quickly, but you also move alone. Some of the thrill is in the waiting, the anticipation, the group chatter, and the shared ride through a story week by week.
So, if you ever get the chance, watch a show while it’s airing. Endure the grueling wait between episodes, even when it feels torturous. Trust me—some things are worth it.
Besides, it’s no fun wondering if someone is going to die in Season 1 when you see them in commercial promos for Seasons 2, 3, 4…
Like what you read? Is this you? What shows have you binged? Leave a comment in the section below. And be sure to sign up at the bottom to receive email notifications of future posts from Kenny’s Camera, Cooking & Crazy Confessions at ZootsBlogSpot!
