With This is Us wrapping up season 2, and Gossip Girl back on Netflix, it’s the perfect time to get comfy and start new shows (or re-watch old ones!) – after all, there’s only a short bubble of time before Finals season starts up or you have to return to campus for Spring term, so you might as well enjoy it while you can!
1. Anticipation
Stage one, anticipation. This is the preliminary stage of starting a new show, swiping through the countless options on Netflix as if swiping for tinder matches. This is a serious make it or break it stage. You have to be sure to get the perfect show, and the excitement is REAL.
2. Waiting
Stage two is testing the waters, waiting to see if this is going to be a show you’re going to stick with and obsess over. Are you invested in the relationships? Have you found the perfect couple to ship? I like to use the 5 episode rule. Sometimes pilot episodes aren’t the best and you need to build the plot a little…but if you can’t keep my attention beyond 5 episodes, it’s on to the next series!
3. Excitement
You’ve finally done it! You found a show to stick with and you’re obsessed . This means don’t talk to me when I’m watching and I can’t come to get coffee because I absolutely MUST find out who A is, or if Derek picked Meredith, or if Chuck Bass says I love you! Bye!!
4. Stress
So you’ve been watching for 3 seasons and there are only 3 seasons left…You want to keep going but you have commitments. They’re piling up and you need to hand in that assignment this week – the stress is real. Shows vs. school vs. job vs. friends. What have we gotten into??
5. Overburdening yourself
Okay, season 5 now…is it over yet? This is the stage where you’re like, why did I start this? You realize that you’ve blazed through countless hours of television that, well, could have been used in much more productive ways. But! You started this and you’ve got to see it through to the end!
6. Master-status
Yay! You made it though and successfully finished all 6+ seasons in a month or two. You’re officially a binge-watching pro. You caught up on all the Netflix in record time and are now ready to move on to live tweeting from the couch every Tuesday night like the rest of us. And they said it would be hard….
7. Enticement
But now what? Waiting a week (or more on season breaks) for new episodes live on TV is THE worst. And commercials? I forgot how awful it is not to watch a show without interruptions. I guess it’s time for another round because I can’t wait to start something new and non-stop watch!!