With the advent of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, people have more access than ever before to watch shows from start to finish. In my opinion the biggest flaw with watching shows on Netflix isn’t the way I feel the need to drop everything and watch all thirteen seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, it’s the fact that spoilers are everywhere. Watching shows that all of your friends have seen several years after the show has ended is very risky. Here are some tips on avoiding spoilers while you watch your new (old) favorite shows.
Don’t Speak of it.
I’m serious. If you ever mention a popular show you’re watching, people will immediately tell you what they remember, especially the best plot twists. They will try to tell you who Gossip Girl is and everyone who died on Grey’s Anatomy. You probably already know what happens on The Office and Friends. If you bring up the show you’re watching, especially if it’s popular or ended several years ago, people will get excited and want to talk about it. There’s a reason you’re watching it, after all!
Watch it as fast as humanly possible.
Yet another excuse to marathon whatever show you’re watching. The best way to avoid spoilers is to eliminate any chance of something being spoiled. Watch it all. ASAP. (If you’re watching Grey’s, you’d better cancel everything you have planned for the next several months.)
Don’t look it up on social media.
Don’t even google it. When you’re watching a great show (or a terrible one), you probably want to talk to everyone you know about it. You’ll want to see the best tweets, posts, gifs, and be a part of the community of people who invested as much time in the show as you. The only risk is that the community of fans know everything that’s going to happen. Without even realizing, you’ll find yourself surrounded by spoilers.
Don’t even look it up on imdb.
I once made the mistake of looking up a show on imdb after catching a re-run of the pilot. I noticed that my favorite character was only on the show for two episodes. Spoiler alert: He died at the end of the first episode. I’m still in mourning.
Be careful catching re-runs.
Speaking of re-runs, episode descriptions are not your friend. If you’re watching TV and not using a streaming service, you might feel inclined to watch re-runs of the episodes you’ve already seen. When you’re checking to see which episode is airing, make sure you’re careful. When you read the summary of the episode coming up next, you might just catch a spoiler from the season you haven’t watched yet.
In summary, it can be tough to watch a show that most people have already seen, but it’s completely worth it. Avoiding spoilers is possible, and even if you catch some unwanted information by mistake, the journey getting there can be just as exciting as the spoiler itself. Happy watching!