There are so many shows on Netflix, that when the thought of finishing a beloved show comes into our mind, we just think about the amount of shows that we are able to watch after, and worry does not consume us. However, when we finish that show, we endure the 7 stages of grief, until we find something that is worth our time again.
1. Disbelief
Maybe it is just me, and maybe something is deeply wrong with me, but when I am watching a Netflix show that I am really into, I feel like these people are actually in my life and my friends. So it is like losing 30 friends that have been with you on this journey of the show. You can not believe that something that you have put so much time into is over. (So dramatic, but I know you all secretly agree.)
2. Denial
All you can think is, " This is not happening" , while you search the internet for more seasons of the show that you think may be out there. Even though the show is over, you refuse to accept the fact that it is, and just keep watching random episodes in the series over and over again as a way of prolonging the show in your mind.
3. Bargaining
In this stage, you try to negotiate the situation, or think about what you could have done differently. When my show ends, I just sit around for a little while thinking about what life would be like if I never clicked on this show in the first place, and how much it ruined my life. Then I begin to list all the things I did wrong, and how I could have made the show last for 8 years if I was not such an anti social person with Netflix and actually spread the episodes out more. Ugh.
4. Guilt
You feel an immense amount of guilt taking over your being as you beat yourself up for binge watching 6 seasons in 2 weeks. Should you have paced yourself? Or should you have only watched one episode a day? Well that is just simply not a possibility for most humans, but the guilt of moving through the show too fast makes you hate yourself.
5. Anger
When I finish a show I fell in love with, eventually I just feel super angry that there is no more. Like I could go back and watch the show over again? But what would be the point of that; like I already know EXACTLY what happens in season 3 episode 11 so there is no point. I usually get mad at the show for being so selfish and not making 28 seasons of the show like they should have in the first place to keep me happy.
6. Depression
During this stage, you lay in your dark, cold, and sad bedroom, scrolling through the hundreds of shows on Netflix, and attempting to watch the pilots. It is just that nothing will compare to or be the same as the show you just finished, and you do not even want to put yourself out there and try out another show, because you already think you will be disappointed. This is the worst stage to endure in my opinion.
7. Acceptance
Lastly, you feel a sense of hope and accept that the show is over, and you just need to move on. Of course the show will always be a part of you and be in your heart, but all great things must come to an end, and eventually you will find another Netflix show that makes you feel the same way, or even better than the one you just finished.
