My name is Lauren and I’m a Netflix addict.
I haven’t always been this way. I was a regular DVR’er just like more than 60 percent of TV subscribers in America. But then my coworkers convinced me to spend the $9 a month on a Netflix subscription.
“It’s life changing,” they said.
“It’s seriously the best thing invented,” they said.
“How do you not already have this?” they shamed me.
So I buckled under peer pressure (sorry, mom) and signed up. That’s when I met Dexter. With his quirky sense of humor and disturbing after-hours job (Miami Metro blood-spatter expert by day, serial killer by night), Dexter quickly grabbed my attention.
We continued our relationship for a little more than two months (aka that’s how long it took for me to binge watch all eight seasons). When Dexter and I ended things (read as: I successfully binged watched eight years of a television show in less than 45 days), I was left with a feeling of accomplishment that was soon followed by an empty hole.
“Now what?” I thought to myself. What am I going to watch before bed? Or in the mornings when I’m getting ready for work? I have to start over. Nobody likes starting over. Dexter and I had a familiarity. A comfort. Now I was expected to have that same relationship with another show? The audacity!
Then Parenthood came along. I laughed. I cried. I felt complete again. But after 103 episodes, Parenthood and I were done. There have been others that have come and gone along the way, and every time after they’ve run their course I remind myself that the next opportunity is just around the corner (currently taking recommendations for my next binge watching addiction).
Turns out I’m not alone (thank you, God). There are millions of people like me that suffer from withdrawals when their favorite shows end (especially because Netflix has turned us into gluttonous viewers who watch an entire season in one day).
This Huffington Post article details the five emotional stages you’ll probably go through after you finish binge watching a show. From denial and anger, to bargaining, depression and finally acceptance, I hope you find a way (aka a new show) to get you through this tough time.
Let’s keep in mind that every ending is a chance for something new to start. And really, don’t the memories we have of these shows far outweigh the negatives of them ending?
