I’ve been partaking in the “binge watch” since before it was a thing. And I remember the ritual clearly. On special Friday nights after school, my mom would take my four siblings and me to Blockbuster and let us each pick out a movie of our choice. After our selections were made and a stack of VHS put into a bag, we’d go to the corner store to each pick out one movie snack. My favorites were Goobers or Sour Punch Straws. Then we’d go home and while my mom made cocoa and popcorn on the stovetop, we kids would get blankets and pillows and the rest of our movie goodies and settle in for our winter weekend! Sometimes they would have a theme—Hitchcock weekend or Disney marathon, you get it. As a kid, it was a magical thing. Spoiling your appetite on treats and spending time with your family doing something fun and special. Which in our case, I’m sure, had the bonus for my parents of keeping us entertained with a lower price tag than the movie theater.
As an adult, I enjoy it just as much as I did years ago, though the ritual—now most often with my husband—is a little different.
- The snacks have been upgraded (usually).
- The content has changed. Mostly … I mean, have you seen Disney/Pixar’s “Coco”?
- There are fewer stuffed animals, and more real ones.
So what’s my point? Well, I know what I’m talking about, people. And just like Maester Aemon points out, it was bound to happen. Winter. Is. Here, folks. For those of you who know I mean more than “December 21 has come and gone,” well done, let’s get together for an ale and a loaf of Hot Pie’s direwolf bread. For everyone else, it seems like a good time to add “Game of Thrones” to your binge-watching list.
Hmm, all this talk of binging … and the Long Night final season of GoT coming in April … I think it’s time Andrew and I rewatch seasons 1-7.
