“Just one more episode.”

The perfect after school treat, complete with jokes, plot twists and the return of your favorite characters. While it might look like quality time with your TV, it’s more of a mental getaway than just pictures on a screen. 

But when it comes to pictures on screens, TV shows are far better than movies.

It’s usually easier to make room for an episode a day rather than a full 120 minute movie. They’re bite-sized and perfect for a 20 to 40 minute boost of dopamine. After you start a series you know exactly what you’re going to be watching for the next few weeks. There’s no need to scroll through recommendations for something new to watch and eat all your snacks before the movie even begins.

By episode five, I’d call you committed to the show. You know what you’ve gotten into, you know the plot style, the pacing and the joke to drama ratio.

Then there’s the characters, the ones who steal the show.

You end up talking about these characters like you’ve known them all your life. Movies don’t have enough time to provide gradual character arcs like the kind on TV shows nor give every single character enough attention. It’s the difference between a friend you’ve known for a few weeks versus one you’ve known for months. They give you characters you love, see yourself in and occasionally scream at.

You don’t say goodbye to these characters when the end credits come on. And so comfort characters turn into a comfort show, something you know you can return to. 

Usually, that’s the case.

When Friends, a widely loved sitcom, left Netflix, it upset a lot of people. Recently other TV shows like Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother have also been removed. Many lost convenient access to a part of their routine, a show deeply integrated into their lives for years. Especially with newer shows ending after only eight episodes, it’s harder to connect with such shorter stories. TV shows can be short but I’d rather not have them end before I get to Saturday.

Movie magic exists, but being able to lure viewers in and get them to invest half an hour per day to a fictional world truly is magical.

Now, onto the next episode.