Okay. You've never seen "Star Wars." That's okay, I'm not offended (seriously, it's not for everybody). I've talked to a ton of people who've never seen it and don't care to. But I've yet to come across the person that's never seen it but doesn't know where to start. Now that's more my expertise.
If you've finally decided to watch that movie series or TV show that every nerd seems to worship, but don't know where to start, you've come to the right place.
Find a super-fan.
This is pretty broad. Let me be a little more specific. If you have a friend that's seen every episode of BBC's "Sherlock" forty-seven times, that's who you want to seek out. This person can steer you in the right direction. They will most likely know the correct order that you should watch a certain film series (common mistake: watch episodes four, five, and six of "Star Wars" first, then watch episodes one, two, and three… or just skip one, two, and three altogether) that may or may not be the order that the films were released.
For an added bonus, asking your favorite super-fan to watch with you will give you more insight while avoiding spoilers and making sure you don't miss anything. This is also a plus for the super-fan, since watching someone experience their favorite series for the first time is the ultimate dream.
Avoid fan accounts at all costs until you're done.
The internet is great, but also dangerous. Spoilers run amuck there, so don't you dare scan the Tumblr tag until you're finished. Of course, this might take a while, especially if you're watching a long-winded TV or film series… I'm looking at you, MCU.
Prepare to be obsessed.
I didn't want to watch the "Lord of the Rings" film series when my parents forced me to sit down and watch all three three-hour films over Thanksgiving weekend when I was thirteen. But, six years later, I have a Frodo Baggins POP figure sitting on my windowsill and marathon the films (plus "The Hobbit") at least once a year. Watching something in rapid succession is going to cause you to only think about that something for at least a day, so just know that it's normal.
So, sit down, relax, and put on that one thing that you've been meaning to watch all these years. The fandom will be happy to have you, just know that you'll never be the same, and don't blame me when you start crying over potatoes (only Tolkien fans would understand).
