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We have all been there. You have a never-ending list of shows you want to watch, but when it gets time to it, you decide that rewatching Friends (1994-2004) or The Office (2005-2013) is the best thing to do. Why is that? Why do we go back to a show we’ve already seen once, twice, or three or more times? Many fans return to their favorite shows to have the comfort and familiarity of knowing what is going to happen next. Some return because they want to quote the lines along with their favorite characters. Finally, others return to find new hidden gems each time they rewatch.
Why Is There Comfort In Rewatching Shows?
So why do our favorite shows bring us so much comfort? It is because of the familiarity of already knowing what is going to happen next. The audience finds comfort in the familiar and sees change as a scary, unpredictable thing. I know I do. That is why I find myself going back to some of my favorite shows, such as Friends and Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008). Fans can revisit their favorite worlds by using shows as background noise while doing other tasks or chores around the house. Fans can feel like a part of their favorite world and that the characters are their own friends and loved ones. Fans can always turn their attention towards the screen and smile at a familiar scene or cry at a sad one.
These characters become so familiar to the audience; it’s like they are friends. They imagine scenarios with their favorite characters, and they think they know how they would react in certain situations. This is fun and allows the audience to become further immersed in the world of their favorite characters. Then, they think about what their role in the story would be. Would they be friends with the main characters? Enemies? Would they help the main characters or hurt them? There are endless thoughts, situations, and scenarios that the audience can conjure up when looking at their favorite shows. This, again, makes it more fun for the audience when they are rewatching since they are putting themselves in the shoes of their favorite characters.
Is Too Much Rewatching Possible?
Most of us can say we have rewatched our favorite shows at least once or twice. However, after that, does it become too much? The short answer is no. Our favorite shows are our favorites for a reason. Fans either love them for their plot, characters, villains, or all the above and more. For all these reasons, fans keep coming back. They already know what will happen, but they still come back because the storyline sucks them in. Fans are pulled in and can escape from reality for however long they choose to do so.
TV shows and movies are great escapes that let fans momentarily forget their worries and responsibilities. Our favorite shows provide us the comfort we might be lacking elsewhere. They provide the audience with a safe space where they know that nothing unexpected or scary will happen. The rug won’t get pulled out from under them because they will know what is going to happen, and they can brace themselves for the gutwrenching, heartbreaking scenes. It might not make it easier, but fans will at least prepare themselves when they are rewatching them.
Hidden Gems In Rewatching
Along with the comfort and familiarity that our favorite shows bring us, we most likely will also find easter eggs and hidden messages that we missed the first time. Take, for example, Gossip Girl (2007-2012). Warning: spoilers ahead. For years, fans speculated as to who the anonymous blogger was, and at the end of the show, they discover Dan was Gossip Girl all along. They start putting together the pieces, and things start to make sense. If fans are to go back and rewatch the show, they will see clues and hints that tell them Dan is Gossip Girl.
They might question why a “nobody” like Dan Humphrey ever even gets the attention of Gossip Girl. Or they might wonder why they never caught on when the camera lingered on Dan as Gossip Girl (Kristen Bell) was narrating. It seems obvious once Gossip Girl is revealed, but fans might have been oblivious during a first watch. That is why rewatching shows is so fun. Fans can pick up on clues and “aha” moments that they never noticed before. They get to play the role of detective and analyze and scrutinize their favorite characters. Perhaps they even learn new lessons along the way that they did not understand the first time.
Iconic Shows Just Deserve Rewatching
Frankly, iconic shows such as Game of Thrones (2011-2019), Friends, The Office, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and many more deserve to be rewatched. It’s hard to imagine all the effort and work it takes to create a good TV show unless you are working on it yourself. However, this effort is worth it when your audience loves it enough to keep rewatching it over and over again.
Rewatching shows might also lead the creators of these popular shows to create reboots, prequels, or spin-offs. These can be either hit or miss, but most fans would love to dive deeper into the worlds they have become so familiar with. From New York to Westeros, our favorite shows allow us to escape and find comfort with some of our favorite people. For me, it feels almost as if I am spending time with a dear friend when I rewatch a show such as Friends.
Rewatching shows with friends might be even more comforting as it allows you to discuss the show with someone who can understand it as intricately as you can. You can together work through the mysteries and clues you find along the way. Rewatching shows brings people together, whether amongst friends or the audience with the characters. Humans are creatures of habit, which is no different when it comes to the media they consume. Familiarity equals comfort, and by rewatching our favorite shows, we can find peace in an otherwise chaotic world.