Why I Rewatch TV Shows

It is pretty normal these days to curl up with your best friend Netflix and binge-watch whatever new show you are obsessed with. We do it all the time—it’s become normal. Binge-watching was technically a word but hasn’t become common until the past two years because it used to be a lot harder to watch every season of your favorite show. Either you recorded each week’s new episode on VHS or you bought them for obscene amounts of money. I actually bought my first season of “Smallville” for $60 and I thought it was a great deal. Now I wouldn’t pay more than $20 for the latest season. For some people it was like collecting coins, trying to get every episode and watch them all, while for others it was a love of the stories and their characters. For me it was many things: I liked collecting, I liked submersing myself in stories, and I liked rewatching them again and again.

I can admit that it is kind of a weird habit. I found old shows I used to watch or shows I’d heard of but had been too young to watch when they aired. I rented them from Blockbuster and hunted them down online or at stores. Sometimes they only needed to be watched once, but other times I grew attached to the characters and stories and found myself going back to them again and again. I was an interesting habit, but I thought it was totally normal. I quoted them often and referenced them in conversations to people who had no idea what I was talking about. I shared them with friends and pushed them into watching them with me just so I could have people to talk to about them.

For me it was like going back to my favorite books. When I’m emotional and in need of a reason to cry I watch “One Tree Hill,” when I’m looking for a good love story I go to “Roswell,” and when I’m in need of some action it’s “Alias” all the way. With the shows came memories and possibilities, that I could be strong like Buffy or brave like the Doctor. It might not be a strange habit anymore, and it feels like validation of my nerdiness. Now that I have people to share my shows with and it’s normal enough to ask someone to watch six seasons of a show, I get to share my favorite stories again and again.

What are your favorite shows to rewatch? Tweet us @litdarling!