Thanks to TV being readily available on DVD and streaming services like Netflix, binge-watching TV shows have become all the rage. My social media feeds are constantly filled with people who confess to losing hours and days to watching every minute of TV show that they’ve recently discovered.
Netflix’s Orange is the New Black was definitely that show for many people this summer and with reason. The series, about a newly engaged woman, who finds herself sentenced to fifteen months in prison after being arrested for a crime she committed ten years before, is ridiculously good. It’s funny, it’s dark, it’s full of fun twists and it’s completely unpredictable. And because the show is based on a memoir, written after the real life ordeal of Piper Kerman, the show seems painfully real. It’s really unlike any thing I’ve seen on TV before. Which is exactly why I didn’t binge-watch it.
As we know, there’s some good TV on right now, but rarely are shows as good as Orange is the New Black. So even though I wanted to watch the whole thirteen-episode season in one day, I also knew that I’d want to be able to enjoy the show for as long as possible, especially since the premiere date for season two isn’t even released yet. (Although, if you want some fun spoilers, Instagram seems to be the place to go.)
But Orange is the New Black isn’t the only show that I’ve decided to enjoy for as long as possible. Scandal, Breaking Bad and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are among some the series we’re watching at a snail’s pace. It may seem painful sometimes, especially when most of my favourite shows end with must-watch-the-next-episode cliffhangers, but at the end of the day, or in this case, series, we feel better for it. Knowing that I had a summer filled with Red, Taystee, Morello and Nicky instead of just a few days, was probably the best decision I’ve ever made.
In case you missed it, a few seasons ago Portlandia perfectly skewered the habit of binge watching, watch it below.
So do you binge-watch or try to make the magic last?
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I?¦ll try and check back more often. How frequently you update your website?