Skipping to the end
Apparently I have a new tradition of watching a show’s finale without watching the entire show. Everyone I’ve mentioned this to has reacted the same, stunned and confused. Won’t you regret it? What if you want to watch the entire show later?? Trust me, I won’t.
As much as I’m wracked with doubt in other areas of my life, I know when I’m not going to watch a show or film. I don’t think this should keep me from enjoying an episode here or there.
I was never going to watch Game of Thrones. I get why people liked it, but it never clicked for me. I did like The Last Kingdom though! The hype for the Game of Thrones series finale was overwhelming. And a lot of people I know and/or follow were INTO IT.
On a whim I decided to watch, and it did not disappoint. Dragons! Sword fights! More dragons! Ice zombies? Leather outfits, with capes and pelts! It was great fun, exactly what I wanted, and I felt zero regret or desire to watch the entire series.
More recently I watched the series 2 finale of The White Lotus. I gave the series a shot when it first came out but it didn’t click for me. I like Mike White, and loved Enlightened, but as good as I think Mike White is at storytelling, The White Lotus wasn’t for me.
Spoiler alert!
The Lady is a big Mike White fan, a big Jennifer Coolidge fan and therefore a big The White Lotus fan. As is our usual custom, she told me all about the episode the next morning. I had to talk her into it because she didn’t want to ruin it for me. I assured her I’d never watch the series, so she let it rip, and it sounded really fun. A gaggle of fawning murderous gays? Who could resist.
That evening I was flipping between Law and Order episodes, deciding which one to watch with dinner, and I noticed The White Lotus rerun was playing. Another “what the hell” moment took over and I decided to watch, particularly for the Jennifer Coolidge gun scene.
It did not disappoint. Between the bits The Lady told me and my run-of-the-mill TV watching skills I figured out most of what was going on. And it didn’t even matter because I have zero desire to go back watch the full thing.
Is there something wrong with me? Perhaps. But if you ever feel the urge to watch the last episode of a show you’re not going to watch otherwise, try it. You might like it.