the second, third, and fourth time around

Do you know how many times I've seen Friends?  And no, I don't mean how often I've watched episodes on TBS or The CW, I'm talking about popping in Season 1 Disc 1 and floating merrily until Rachel asks if they can get a quick coffee and Chandler responds, "Where?"  That's right.  I know the final line. I've watched the entire series a minimum of four times.  (Hey, what do you think got me through middle school?)  That's not including how many times I've caught bits and pieces on TV or the mini-marathons I've had with friends.  Aside from clearly admitting I have a problem, I'm trying to make a point that people take pleasure in reliving the same jokes and drama over and over again.  Here's my theory on why.


1. Comfort

People have always enjoyed books and movies more than once.  There probably wasn't much quantitative proof of this initially, but I know for a fact my grandmother read Moby Dick every year for decades.  And my mom has watched Cat Ballou countless times.  I could go on but all the examples are the same.  People find comfort in what they already know.  Each time I put on Friends, it's like that moment you come in from playing in the snow and your mom hands you a mug of hot chocolate. Hearing the theme song to The OC lets me relax and hearing President Bartlet spew off quotes calms me down.  These characters were a part of your life either weekly for years or daily for weeks depending on how to ingested the show.  Regardless, bringing them back into your life is like connecting with old friends. 

Example: Reading Harry Potter for the first time is a whirlwind.  A fantastic one, don't get me wrong, I wish I could experience it for the first time again, but there's something more magical in the second or third go round. It's less scary, less intimidating.  You know the players and the rules, you understand how the world operates.  What's more, you know the outcome, you can take solace in already having read the last page of Book Seven.  People are scared of the unknown, that's always been true, so diving in with eyes wide open is like going to the first day of school as a senior.  You'll notice things you didn't pick up on before and probably understand bits more thoroughly, and that tiny bit of hesitation from starting something new is gone.  You're in charge.  You're all knowing.  And this time, you'll be ready.


2. Obsession
I used to take offense to this word, but I'll admit that yes, I am obsessed.  With what show?  All of them.  All of the shows.  Well, there are probably like three I don't watch.  But the rest, I could watch always.  But why?  That's the real question.  For me, it's usually because no one wants to talk about it anymore and I'm tired of the gifs on Tumblr or the videos on YouTube, so maybe I should just experience the whole thing again... Getting to the finale will be SO much better once I sit through the beginning again, don't you think?  Agreed.  Season one, let's get on this.  It's funny because while I've watched The Big Bang Theory three times (I don't know how I have the time to live this way - I have a real life too, I swear), I wouldn't consider myself obsessed.  Which sounds insane, but I don't think about the show much and I don't know the lines or many of the inside jokes real TBBT fans do.  It's great and funny, but background noise.  The West Wing on the other hand, I've seen less but definitely like more.  I don't know if it's the tone or the characters or the concept, but I could talk about TWW for much longer than TBBT. 

The most interesting part of this to me is that I have a friend who feels the complete opposite.  So I don't think certain shows are more obsessable (new word, accept it), I think it's something else. I think it comes down to the feelings a show gives you and the feelings you want from a show.  I'm obsessed with The West Wing because it gives me hope and makes me feel like the world can change and we can grow and that America really is a great country.  Whether it's Josh or Toby or CJ giving a speech, I'm fully focused and wholly invested.  No matter how many times I've seen it.  Same goes for Veronica Mars in my life.  She's a badass and watching her badassery time and time again just makes me more convinced I can get on her level.  It's like it was so good the first time then you build it up in your head convinced it can't actually be that good, so you experience again and get proved wrong.


3. Nostalgia
This is the sort of thing where you had a really bad day so you grab a pint of ice cream, put on something comfortable, and load up a show from when your life just wasn't so hard. You developed a relationship with these characters and they remind you of being young and carefree.  My parents love to talk about MASH because they remember their lives at the time of watching.  For my generation, I'd argue it's Boy Meets World. 

Unlike the binge watching we do now where we see it all from start to finish. Most of us lived alongside Cory, Shawn, and Topanga through reruns (which all alone are literally shows purposely being available to see a second time).  No matter how it happened, I have seen every episode of BMW, but that wouldn't stop me from searching on YouTube to watch it yet again.  Every single time Eric calls for Mr. Feeney, it's gold.  Another show that transports be back in time is Dawson's Creek and that wasn't even for my age group.  But when I was younger, I still watched every second of that love triangle. Because time and time again, you remember how it used to be.  Whether it was running downstairs after clearing the table to watch The Cosby Show with your family or waking up early to catch cartoons, these shows never lose their influence.  They're more than comfort, they're a time machine.

4. Boredom
This might be the one people admit to.  Not that I don't watch TV out of boredom, but I love TV so much I'm rarely bored while it's on.  That being said, what shows would I pick specifically to watch again BECAUSE I was bored?  You know what?  I think shows like Parks and Rec or The Office take this roll because they're just entertaining enough.  If I'm feeling lethargic but need a way to pass twenty minutes, you better believe Leslie Knope and Michael Scott can get me through the struggle.  And these are two shows I love and have seen every episode of (minus those few where Jim was mean to Pam at the end), but they can sometimes be like fluff.  Hilarious, clever fluff, but fluff all the same.  They're easy to get through and smart without requiring too much of my brain.  I can lay back and enjoy, nice and easy.  And the best part, and point of this post, they don't get old.  I can watch Dunder Miflin run away from that bat almost as many times as I can relive the Harvest Festival.  The joy from these two shows is endless.  Round seven and I'm still smiling.


5. Friendship
Are TV shows are strong foundation to any of your friendships?  Did you just say no?  Think about it again because I bet you're wrong.  It's not the ONLY thing we have in common, not by far, but Supernatural legitimately started one of my friendships.  Neither of us even watch the show anymore but she recommended it to me, showed me an episode (which we watched together on an iPod on our way to Italy, btw), and I was hooked.  It's really amazing to introduce something you love to someone new.  It's like sharing a really major part of yourself because if they don't like it - that would hurt.  Which seems silly since that doesn't mean they don't like you and you don't have to like all the same things as your friends, but liking and hating things along with other people is way more satisfying than doing it alone.  Supernatural is a particularly good show for marathoning with friends because it has a lot of levels: it's dramatic and scary and funny and heartbreaking.  Possibly the best part, it's very discussable.  The lore and mystery lends it self to long conversations about hypothetical situations.  SPN also has a lot of religion in it without preaching anything specific, which is actually really fascinating because it's not something I picked up on the first time.  It might not seem like it, but this is a show that has a lot of layers.  Ones that you won't notice the first time around.  Primarily because those boys are insanely good looking.  And lastly, I can't forget this one.  The Vampire Diaries.  While I'm only watching it for the second time now, I have watched clips, read articles, and scrolled through gifs endlessly.  And I'm not sick of it.  Not even slightly.  Again, the main joy in this overload of TVD comes from sharing

it with my friend across the country.  Sure, I'd love Damon all on my own, but loving him and everything he says WITH someone is much more entertaining.  So bring this back to rewatching series, I haven't started from the beginning many times, but I HAVE marathoned the greatest hits.  If you haven't found a show to share with someone, try it, it revolutionizes the whole thing.






There you go.  I don't care what movie or book or show it is.  If you liked it.  Do it again.