For the love of watch parties
My soapbox speech for the movie theater-ification of watching TV
All but a few streaming services have opted for weekly episode releases of their TV shows, completing the grand return to what is essentially just a cable package after a makeover sequence. I remember my DVR days quite fondly, typically starting the viewing party a few minutes after the episode premiered in order to zip through the commercials. Desperate Housewives, 24, Arrow…weeknights in the early 2000s were quite the event at my childhood home (largely because I would just plop myself on the couch and watch everything my parents did). One of the things I miss most about that era, besides of course the impeccable middle school fashion choices, is enjoying a show alongside the reactions of others and cataloguing our favorite moments. Essentially, the movie theater-ification of TV.
At the onset of streaming services, of course watch parties continued to be a thing, but less common as watching habits became more singular. We clung to our phones and laptops, binging our way through the ever-growing library of content. That sea of available things to watch quickly became deeper and deeper, and wading into it more daunting.
With social media, the concept of a watch party has transformed. You can share the viewing experience with thousands of people online through social feeds, online chat groups (Hung Up’s Succession chats are my personal fav), or even livestreams. Although you might not be in the room with the people you’re watching alongside, the countless perspectives, memes, and wild takes bring a sense of community—albeit somewhat chaotic—all the same.
An added benefit to the internet age watch party is the flexibility of time at which you can enjoy it. Depending when you check social media, you can delay how much commentary you’ll see if you prefer to watch first and chat afterwards. Though it can sometimes be a double-edged sword if your feeds are regularly flooded with content about your favorite shows: check too early and you might accidentally happen upon a spoiler. Spoiler alert: the friends on Friends are in fact, friends. If predicting the intricacies of your algorithm becomes too difficult, coordinating with a friend to start at the same time and texting throughout the runtime is also a top notch way to achieve the group watch vibe while afar.
My recipe for a great virtual watch party:
Say a quick prayer for whatever app you are watching on, so that it doesn’t crash when thousands of people try to watch something at the exact same time
Have some kind of lil’ treat within an arm’s reach
Snuggle up in a blanket **extra important if the show is scary or cringey so you can hide behind it when you just can’t bear to look**
Don’t bother with the various “group watch” functions streaming services offer, they don’t work that well and texting is almost always easier than their half-assed chat functions Plus! how will you remember what ridiculous commentary you had when the chat disappears??
Pull up your chat of choice—text, chat group, etc etc—and keep your phone at the ready for any WTF moments
Avoid Twitter during the first watch, it’s a spoiler haven (plus just a general brain-rot wasteland)
Press play!
Watch and gab to your heart’s content
I try to give it the good ol’ college try, which is laughable bc I certainly wasn’t successful at this is college either, to not be looking at two screens the whole runtime. Essentially I aim for like at least 60-40 of actually just watching the show versus “watching the show” (read: being on my phone while listening to the show in the background)
Keep watching all the way through any previews for the next episode or inside the episode features, and through the credits for shows with incredible soundtracks/scores. Nicholas Britell, I’m looking at you!
Gear yourself up to unpack your thoughts for however long you want to ramble on with your fellow group watch members
This can range from the “walk from the movie theater back to the car” length to the full-blown “college discussion section” style (my personal favorite, shocking, I know).
I’m partial to text, but have also been known to hop on the occasional spontaneous FaceTime for those special episodes that require a deeper debrief
Happy watch partying my overly online pals!!