Everything from the Boys, to Marvel shows, to Lower Decks waste so much time every episode recapping what happened previously. We’re watching these shows on demand. If we needed a recap we simply watch parts of the last episode. Binging shows is so normal it’s a meme now.

Do the people making these shows seriously think there’s a possibility of network syndication or something? As if we’ll eventually go back to the network model?

What do you think?

  • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    A lot of times they re-cap the bits from previous episodes that are relevant to the one you’re about to watch. They aren’t random flashbacks.

    • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Yeah. They always show that old character that you forgot about in the “previously on” right before his surprise comeback.

    • BroBot9000@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      If they need a recap for the viewers to remember what’s going on then it’s bad storytelling.

      • Nibodhika@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Oh yeah, because everyone will obviously remember what a guy mentioned off hand on a random episode 5 years ago.

        I agree that a “previously on” for what happened the previous episode is bullshit, but that’s almost never the case.

      • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Not bad, just extended. If you’re watching season 3 and there’s a throwback to season 1, it’s good to have that reminder.

  • snooggums@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Not everyone binges shows, and some release weekly, and in either case are following the pattern of recaps for those who didn’t just watch the previous episode before starting the current one.

    I’m just glad all of the ones I can think of have a skip recap button. Same for intros!

  • li10@feddit.uk
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    2 months ago

    I tend to watch shows three or so episodes at a time, but then it can be a few days or even weeks until I get back to it.

    Side note: I really appreciate shows that put out a proper recap of the last season. I ain’t rewatching an entire season just so I can watch the new one.

  • Baron Von J@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I’d rather watch the recap than manually skip around through a previous episode. And if the recap leaves me confused then I’ll looks at the last episode.

  • CrayonRosary@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Who’s “we”? I love recaps at the start of an episode when the last one I watched was a week ago. If you don’t like them, it’s streaming video. Just skip forward!

  • Dizzy Devil Ducky@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    I presume they do it for the people who don’t binge watch or who end up dropping a show for a while, only to come back and not remember what happened last episode.

    I personally enjoy them considering there are times I watch shows with breaks of weeks in-between episodes and need it. Saves time.

  • radix@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I appreciate the 30 second heads up of which exact previous scenes will be important in the upcoming episode.

    Even if I’ve just binged a bunch, and don’t need a recap of the broader story arc, there may have been a name drop or specific reference that could have been missed.

  • Vinny_93@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I think there are loads of people that watch several shows at once and get their wires crossed. But there are platforms that are able to skip those

  • irotsoma@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I don’t always binge watch shows. And I’m not going to rematch all the episodes every time I come back to a show. And as an ADHD person I appreciate the reminders of what happened.

  • Starb3an@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    If I’m binging, I’ll skip them if the option is there. Otherwise, they help when I remember a show exists and I come back to it.

  • Rikudou_Sage@lemmings.world
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    2 months ago

    I like them. I watch stuff in bursts. Like ten episodes at a time, then I don’t have the time to watch anything for a month and my memory gets sketchy.

    And The Boys recaps are funny.

  • I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I’ve been watching Murder She Wrote and each episode has a “this time on Murder She Wrote” at the beginning that is kind of a convoluted spoiler for the episode. I don’t know who would want that, especially on a mystery show.

    • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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      2 months ago

      Murder She Wrote was made with old people as the target demographic and old people have terrible memories. I imagine this greatly cuts down on the “Who is that person?” “Where is she driving to?” “When are they going to catch the killer?” type questions one generally hears when watching an episode of anything for the first time with their elderly parents.

  • gedaliyah@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Honestly, the best treatment of this was in the pre-streaming world with the “next time on Arrested Development.”

    The running joke is that they would pretty much never happen, except once in a while when they did.

  • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    I like to put things that didn’t happen in the “Previously On” portions, to fuck with people’s heads.