20 TV shows that just aren't as good when you binge them

Amazon’s The Rings of Power is epic in every sense of the word. It features sprawling storytelling that really immerses the viewer in Tolkien’s world. Like so many other fantasy shows, it’s definitely best enjoyed outside of the binge model. Like Peter Jackson’s movies, one should take one’s time, paying close attention to both the remarkably detailed production design and all of the various narrative threads that often take a bit of time to really reach their fullest potential. 

True Detective might vary in quality from season to season, but it somehow always manages to be compelling. Even the weaker seasons still feature electrifying performances from the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Jodie Foster, and Mahershala Ali, and each season explores some of the darkest and most terrifying elements of the human psyche and condition. The sophistication of the writing and the performances make it a show that’s best enjoyed outside of the binge model, so that one doesn’t lose sight of the truly extraordinary TV storytelling on offer.

The catastrophic civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons is the subject of HBO’s House of the Dragon, its Game of Thrones spinoff. The series is definitely very deliberately paced, slowly introducing viewers to the various players in the drama and the stakes for the conflict to come. While it might be tempting to blaze through as many episodes as possible, the world that the series creates is one of slow-motion devastation, an inevitable war. Only by slowing down and watching more closely can one really absorb the sense of impending doom.

Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time is without a doubt one of the most ambitious fantasy series in the history of the genre, and its TV adaptation is similarly sprawling. The series takes a while to find its footing, but once it does, it becomes a dynamic and exciting piece of fantasy TV. Though it was canceled after just three seasons, it still offers a rewarding viewing experience for those willing to slow down and savor individual episodes, each of which reveals more of this complex world and its fascinating characters.

With The Gilded Age,  Julian Fellowes turned from Britain to the US, but despite the change in setting, he managed to once again capture a nation in the midst of great social change. The HBO series is definitely a slow burn, with storylines that sometimes take a while to find their footing. Nevertheless, the show rewards a deliberate mode of viewing and, given the nuanced performances by the likes of Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, and Denée Benton, it deserves to be watched in increments.

Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey remains a beloved show, both for its great performances and for its truly sumptuous production values. As a result, it’s the type of show that really does reward a more deliberate style of viewing than is usually possible with the binge model. In order to really get the full Downton experience, one should definitely slow down and savor the beautifully evoked melodrama Fellowes has created, immersing oneself in the gorgeous world of the titular country estate and its many large personalities. 

There’s no question that The Pitt is one of the best medical dramas in recent memory, and it’s also just a great show in its own right. However, it is definitely a show meant to be watched weekly rather than all at once. Anyone who attempts the latter will find it very emotionally overwhelming, especially since the show grapples with some very heavy material that can be more than a little overwhelming if someone were to watch an entire season in a couple of sittings.

Hugh Laurie gives a memorable performance in House, playing the cantankerous title character. Like many other network dramas of its era, it’s a show that relies heavily on a formula for its episodes. While this certainly played well while the series was on the air, it’s one of those things that quickly becomes repetitive when one watches one episode after another in succession. If one just watches an episode or two at a time, however, the show still has a lot to offer. 

In some ways, Succession is the definition of a slow burn. Not a whole lot happens in one episode to the next, but there’s still something potent and powerful about the way the drama slowly unfolds. A great deal of this effect is lost when one just watches episode after episode, without the chance to really sit with and reflect on the various dynamics at play between the various rival members of the Roy family. It’s a show clearly designed to be savored rather than quickly devoured.

As a rule, procedurals lend themselves to binge-watching, since they all tend to follow the same formula. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, however, is an exception. Given the heavy–and often deeply troubling–subject matter, it’s a show that can be a bit overwhelming when one watches one episode after another. Taking a more deliberate approach to watching it has the added advantage of not desensitizing one to the nature of the sexual violence that so often serves as the central part of the narrative.

Hannibal certainly takes more than a few risks, particularly given its very mature content and the fact it was airing on network TV. It’s filled with great performances and visuals that are as striking as they are disturbing. However, it’s precisely the latter element that makes it such a hard show to watch in anything other than increments. After all, there’s only so much human brutality and torment one can watch before it all starts to become a little overwhelming.

Angela Lansbury got the role of a lifetime with Jessica Fletcher, the writer-turned-sleuth of Murder, She Wrote. The show holds up remarkably well, in no small part because of Lansbury’s extraordinary talent. However, the seams start to show in the later episodes in particular, and watching several of them in sequence reveals a willingness on the part of the show’s writers to rely on the same plot resolution time after time. While this isn’t as noticeable when one watches one or two episodes, it becomes more evident the more one watches. 

Drama shows are often not great for bingeing, and the same holds true for many sitcoms, particularly those from the 2000s and before. Take, for example, That ‘70s Show. While the show is good in small doses, watching more than a few episodes in a row reveals a certain predictability in the plot and certain character traits. This is particularly evident when it comes to Fez, whose appearance always generates the same sorts of jokes episode after episode.

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale remains one of the author’s most beloved and controversial novels. It became a key part of the cultural conversation upon the release of the Hulu adaptation in the 2010s, and it has continued to show its relevance. However, while it’s an undeniably great show and deserves its accolades, its bleak and terrifying vision of the future is one best taken in small doses, unless one is prepared to lose all hope in humanity and the ability of American citizens not to fall victim to patriarchal violence.

From the jump, BoJack Horseman made it clear it was an animated series that was going to take on some heavy material. Over the course of its run, the show dealt with any number of heavy topics, including trauma, parental neglect, and depression. While this was the reason it received substantial critical praise, it also makes for difficult watching, particularly in the later seasons. It’s thus best watched in small increments rather than all at once.

Rami Malek gives one of his usual intense performances in Mr. Robot, the conspiracy series that follows his hacker character, Elliot Alderson, as he is drawn further into a hacktivist collective. The series is certainly compelling, and it taps into the conspiracy ethos of the 21st century. However, it’s precisely the nature of its subject that makes for rather grim watching at times, particularly in 2025. It’s consistently great in small doses, but it can quickly become stifling if one watches too many episodes at once.

Black Mirror is one of those shows that has repeatedly shown an ability to predict the future. It has to be said, though, that its vision of the role of technology in people's lives is bleak, which can make for depressing viewing at times. It is definitely not a show one should binge, unless one wants to end up feeling as if there’s not a great deal of hope for the human race in the face of destructive technological change and advancement. 

Oz was one of those shows that definitively proved that HBO was the network to beat when it came to creating top-notch serialized drama. It makes for difficult viewing at times, which is hardly surprising, given that it’s set in a prison. However, this also means it can be a bit overwhelming to binge-watch the show, since doing so often makes viewers feel as if they’re in the same tortured psychological space as the characters.

Few antiheroes have exerted quite as much pull as Walter White of Breaking Bad.  Walter is arguably Bryan Cranston’s best role, and the show as a whole makes for a harrowing, compelling watch even now. Given the extent to which it draws its dramatic energy from Walt's transition from chemistry teacher to drug lord, it’s definitely a show that rewards slower rather than binge viewing. A binge-watch would also strip out so much of the slow-burn power of the show.

Its final season may have left many people feeling cold, but for most of its run Game of Thrones was a powerful piece of TV storytelling. Its deliberate pacing, however, means it wasn’t always best suited to the binge model. Furthermore, there’s a lot of pleasure in just letting the series unfold and losing oneself in Westeros and the struggle for the Iron Throne. Sometimes, it really is best to just watch a TV series incrementally rather than rushing to finish it all at once.