William Hall93 said:Look, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a good series, but I just don't get this whole obsession with bingeing shows instead of watching movies. :-)
A lot of series end up having a disappointing finale or just lose steam in later seasons, leaving you feeling like you wasted a massive chunk of your life. With a movie, you put in an hour or two and then move on to something else.
If you spend all that time on a series where the writing goes completely to hell by season four, you could have easily watched a dozen high-quality movies in that same window.
Look, I get where you're coming from—I really do—but have you ever experienced that specific internal conflict? That moment when you’re absolutely obsessed with a movie (or maybe a trilogy of films from the same franchise) and you have this desperate, almost primal urge to just consume more? It’s like saying, "God, I need more of this right now," while simultaneously feeling this sinking realization deep down that if they actually *do* make more, it will only serve to tarnish the perfection of what you just witnessed. You want it, but you know more might actually ruin it.
🙂
Look, TV series are just... they're something else entirely compared to movies. It’s like a whole different world—once a show hooks you with its atmosphere or those deep, complex characters, you're essentially living in that universe. You don't just watch it; you inhabit it. You find yourself constantly needing to know what happens next, driven by this internal momentum that a two-hour film simply can't replicate.
Look, if you want my honest opinion, The X-Files stands alone as the absolute best series I’ve ever watched—it’s easily my all-time favorite. Honestly, I can't even wrap my head around the idea of The X-Files being just a single movie. For me, that simply wouldn't work; I can't imagine only getting to experience Fox Mulder and Dana Scully a couple of times and then having it be over. No way—there's just no chance I'd be satisfied with that. 🙂 That’s exactly why I say they are two entirely different beasts—movies versus series.
If anyone ever forces me into a corner—though, frankly, they really shouldn't—and makes me choose between a movie or a series, I’m going with a movie every single time. It's a clear-cut decision for me, but honestly, putting someone in that position is just a bit unfair.
The X-Files remains my absolute favorite series—it’s the gold standard for me. That said, I have quite a collection of other cult classics that I find myself revisiting from time to time; shows like the original The Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks, The Sopranos, HBO's Rome, and Oz.
These are the kind of series defined by top-tier acting and narratives that feel entirely self-contained—stories that possess their own internal logic and atmosphere. They belong strictly to the medium of television; they simply wouldn't work any other way—though, of course, I wouldn't want them to be anything else.
Up until today, I’ve mostly kept to myself here, but I figured I’d take a crack at comparing the sheer scale of TV series versus movies. Just this once, anyway. To be blunt, I have yet to see a depiction of ancient Rome that hits quite as hard as HBO's Rome—nothing in any movie or series has ever captured that era with such raw authenticity. The only possible contender, if we look at it from a linguistic-archaeological standpoint, would be Gibson's Passion—but that’s assuming you set aside the whole Jesus aspect of it all.
To be perfectly honest, life has been pretty relentless lately—I haven't had much breathing room for movies or series over the last three years—BUT I always find a way to carve out time for them. It’s more than just a hobby; it's deeply ingrained in who I am. There is something almost meditative about revisiting the classics—especially those specific films I absolutely adore—and watching them for the hundredth time. 🤣
It’s the same deal with TV shows—whenever I actually find a spare moment, I’ll grab an episode and dive in. But let’s be clear: I’m not just binging anything that pops up on my feed. I only go after the series that actually hold water—the ones where the storytelling, the genre, and the acting are all top-tier. If it doesn't hit those marks, it isn't worth my time.
You wouldn't believe the sheer volume of shows I go through—I'm constantly cycling through everything from Game of Thrones to The Walking Dead, then jumping straight into The 100 or Falling Skies. 🤣🤣
Let’s be real—when it comes to the current landscape of television, nothing even comes close to the sheer scale of Game of Thrones. I mean it. You can browse through every major streaming platform from Netflix to HBO all day long, but honestly? No other series is even playing in the same league.
Look, I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself some die-hard fanatic for Game of Thrones—I try to keep my cool—but if we’re being objective here, it is easily the best series on television right now. From the caliber of the acting to the sheer complexity of the narrative, it’s unparalleled. You get twists in almost every single episode that just keep you reeling; the plot is so intricately layered—it’s honestly an absolute explosion of a series.
As for your question about why some people nowadays seem to binge-watch series more than they watch movies—honestly, I don't even know what to say about them. That just isn't me... 🙂 Movies will always be my number one choice, though—I'll admit, my heart aches a little even typing that because of how much I love The X-Files, The Sopranos, and stuff like that—so I truly believe nobody should be forced (and I'm not saying you're doing that) to pick sides between a movie or a series 👍
And those folks who exclusively grind through series? Well, whatever... let them live their lives 😁
