That time a stranger on reddit told me my pacing was way off and it totally changed how I watch shows

I used to always watch shows on 1.5x speed because I thought I was being efficient getting through more episodes. This one guy on the binge worthy shows subreddit told me I was missing all the acting and tension by doing that. At first I got defensive but then I tried watching The Bear at normal speed. It was like a completely different show. The pauses and quiet moments actually hit different when you're not rushing through. Now I only speed up shows that have super slow dialogue like some crime dramas. Anyone else get called out for a watching habit they thought was normal?

2 comments

2 Comments

derekgibson16d ago

Stick with normal speed on The Bear even if other shows feel slow to you. Those quiet moments and long takes are what make it so gripping. I tried speeding up a few episodes to catch up before the new season dropped and it felt like a cartoon version of itself. The pacing in that show is almost musical, you lose the whole rhythm when you rush it.

kevin_adams17d ago

Wait did you just admit to being a 1.5x speed person in public? That takes guts. I got roasted once for admitting I skip the intro and outro of every episode, and now I just sit there awkwardly pretending to appreciate the theme song when other people are watching with me. The Bear at normal speed is a whole different beast though, those tense kitchen scenes would lose all their punch if you sped them up. Maybe now I should try actually watching a whole episode without scrolling Instagram, but baby steps right?