Why I’m Not Binge Watching Fuller House (And Why You Shouldn’t, Either)

It’s been almost two weeks since the “Full House” reboot, “Fuller House,” hit Netflix. Like all Netflix original series, every episode of the show was available to watch all at once. Naturally, millennials with a Netflix account took to their computers and started watching. And once they started, most of them didn’t stop. But they should have.

Before I go on, a quick point: this is not a review of “Fuller House.” You already know if you like or will like it, and I won’t try to sway you into changing your opinion. What I will try to do is change your opinion to how you approach (or should have approached) this show.

Let me take you back to the late 80s-mid 90s. When the 1995 finale of “Full House” aired, I was still in diapers. Most of you reading this probably weren’t even born. We grew up watching “Full House” a different way.

I first stumbled upon the family sitcom when I was around 10, watching back-to-back mid-series episodes on Nick@Nite in my bedroom one evening. I was hooked. Over the next several years, I watched “Full House” all the time. I’ve probably seen every episode more than once, and some episodes far more than that. Every holiday season, I make time to watch the episode when the Tanner family gets stuck in the airport and Stephanie anxiously awaits Santa Claus.

As I got older, naturally “Full House” faded away so I could make time for “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad,” and “The Office,” among others. But the power of nostalgia is truly great. The show stayed with me, and I always knew that if I needed a laugh I could put in one of the DVDs (yes I own every season).

That’s why when I heard “Fuller House” was coming to the web, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I set a countdown calendar and and (not-so) patiently waited. I even stayed up eager to watch the show hit Netflix at midnight, only to be disappointed when I discovered it premiered at 12:00 on the West Coast - not the East Coast. Regardless, I was up bright and early that Friday to welcome the Tanner family back into my life.

I watched the first episode, then the second, then the third, and then the fourth.

But then it hit me.

If I kept going at that rate, I would be finished with “Fuller House” in a day – maybe two if I took my time with it. I would take in all the episodes at once, laugh, and then be finished with it entirely.

That is not the way “Full House” was meant to be watched, and that is not the way “Fuller House” was meant to be watched.

“Fuller House” is not a show that was made to be consumed in one sitting. Many of you decided to do that, and that was your choice. But in my opinion, it was not the right choice, and it was not the choice appropriate for this show.

Think about other shows that popularized binge watching, like “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead.” These shows – arguably – are made for binge watching. Every episode builds to the subsequent one with action, excitement, intensity, and immediacy.

“Fuller House” is not that kind of show.

Like its predecessor, “Fuller House” is a program to be enjoyed – one to take us back to a simpler time in our lives when watching it was something we looked forward to.

Growing up, “Full House” was something special. We didn’t watch the Tanners to pass the time, we stayed up at night and rushed home after school for the Tanners. They made us laugh, made us feel, and made us relate to their fictional lives. They mattered. They were not something we burned off in a day and then bragged to our friends about.

Remember all those shows you grew up with – “Fresh Prince,” “Friends,” or even “iCarly” and “Zoey 101.” Did you binge watch those? Of course not. You saw every episode over a period of years. You grew up watching the characters, and you grew up with those characters. That’s why they are engrained in your childhood. That’s why their stories are engrained in your life.

That’s why they matter.

As of my writing of this blog post, I have watched seven episodes of “Fuller House.” That means I have six more to go for this season, and I’m in no rush. As easy as it would be to press that “Next Episode” button, I choose not to, because I know it’s worth it. I’m taking my time so the Tanners (and now the Fullers) can make an impact on my time and my life, and not be a forgotten memory of a lazy Friday during my college years. Every storyline will resonate, every character will matter, and when I do watch the season finale, whatever event is being led up to will be so much more satisfying – because I waited for it.

As you may have heard, Netflix recently renewed “Fuller House” for season 2. I’m making the episodes last so that I’ll have a smaller wait in between season finale and season premiere, but I’m also waiting so I can value the show and appreciate it. I suggest that when season 2 comes around, you do the same.