Life is too short to finish bad TV shows. Embrace being a quitter

I was watching a Netflix series the other week—I won’t name it, but it had ‘Apple’ in the title and was about a con woman—when I realised that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. The storyline was somehow full of plot holes, even though it was based on real life. The acting was hammy, but not in a fun way. I’d already invested four hours, though, so I was reluctant to admit defeat. But there were two more hours to go. Oh whatever, I thought, slamming the laptop shut and rubbing my eyes. Life is too short to be watching bad TV shows.

I’ve been doing this a lot lately. Noticing when I’m actively not enjoying something and then ducking out, even though I’ve already ‘invested’ time and brain power. I did it two episodes from the end of Dying For Sex—that Michelle Williams drama that started off punchy and then became so miserable I had to watch through my fingers. I also did it with You, the first two seasons of which I thought were fun before it descended into pure Riverdale-style loopiness. I used to power through, at least until all narratives were tied up, but now I just feel like… cba (cost-benefit analysis). What about the narratives of my own life? Shouldn’t I be investing in them instead?

When I laud the idea of quitting bad TV shows, I don’t want this to be confused with immediately giving up before a series has even gotten started. When we’re so used to immediate gratification, I think there can be a tendency to treat TV like junk food—quick dopamine-laden bites, before going onto the next. But some of my favourite culture of all time has been that which I’ve persevered with: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Industry, Succession… even Daisy Jones & The Six, which started off feeling like absolute trash before slowly transforming into the greatest anti-love story of the 20th century (I’m only slightly exaggerating). Still, I think we can use our intuition here. If something feels like a slog—a proper slog—it probably is a slog. There’s no prize to be won in hammering away for no reason.