I often find myself circling back to the same TV show I’ve seen probably three times through rather than starting a new one. I think I’ve seen all of Gilmore Girls at least three times, Dawson’s Creek a good two times, and Stranger Things is a whole different story, for I think I’ve seen the first two seasons themselves at least five times. I also have the urge to re-watch shows I’ve only seen once, because once is never enough. As I’m currently writing this, I’m thinking about how I want to re-watch the show Firefly Lane which I watched last spring.
Don’t get me wrong, I like watching new shows. A new show is exciting because you’re always kept on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to come next. However, I will always turn to the comfort of those shows that feel like home.
I don’t exactly know what makes these shows comfortable for me. I had to watch each one of them for the first time. I experienced that unexpected feeling with each show, so why do they feel comforting to me? I think that I tended to lean on these shows more when I came to college. It’s not just the show itself that’s comfortable; it’s the connection to the people with whom I first watched them.
I still remember starting Gilmore Girls for the first time with my mom. It was September 2021, and we had just started online school due to the pandemic. It became our nightly routine to watch an episode or two a night. We immediately fell in love with the characters and the charm of Stars Hollow — so much so that when we finished it the first time, we had to start watching it again. Now in my days at school, I can always turn it on and be transported back to those nights with my mom and feel as though she is there with me.
I’ve had a similar experience with Stranger Things. It’s my dad and I’s tradition to watch Stranger Things when we eat meals together. We started it back in, I want to say, 2019 and have continued it ever since. Every time I come home, we have to start it over again, hence why I’ve seen the first two seasons five to six times. If I ever want to be reminded of my dad, all I have to do is turn on an episode of Stranger Things.
I also think the moments in which I watched these shows for the first time have caused me to have a deep-rooted connection with them. As for Dawson’s Creek, I watched alone. I would watch it during my lunch in the days of online school in 2021. I think in a time where everyone was so isolated, I longed for a sense of normalcy. The characters in the TV show were experiencing real high school and going through normal teen events, well normal for teen dramas. It gave me this sense of normalcy I so wished for and made me feel less alone. All I had to do if I wanted to escape was turn on Dawson’s Creek and become enveloped in the angst-filled storyline.
I think this is similar to why I now have the urge to rewatch Firefly Lane. I watched it last spring when it was sunny, and I was looking forward to summer, so it’s filled with happy memories. But, I also used the characters to escape into this realm where accomplishing your dreams was possible. One of the main characters becomes a news anchor, which was her longtime dream. As a person who is chasing many dreams, seeing her make her own dreams a reality was refreshing.
I still couldn’t tell you why I’m inclined to only rewatch shows, but I’m not ashamed of it, because it allows me to escape to the past every once in a while.