Yesterday, we reported on stats from Netflix about how we’re all binge-watching shows within the first 24 hours of their release, with the news that one person in Australia has done this with no less than 13 shows this year.
Now we understand that it might have been a little confusing, so we want to clear it up: we didn’t mean, ‘Has binge-watched 13 different shows this year’, because let’s be real, that’s quite a lot of us. We meant, ‘Has binge-watched 13 shows within the first 24 hours of its release’, which is quite a bloody achievement.
And guess what. We think we’ve found her.
We put a call-out for anyone who *thought* this mystery binge-racer was them, and while quite a few of you replied, there’s one woman who we’re pretty sure might be it.
She asked us not to reveal her identity, but she’s a 44-year-old mum from New South Wales, who told us that she works part time, is a bit of an introvert, and she reckons her tendency to binge stems from her depression. (And let’s be real – anyone who has experienced the fuckery of depression knows that binge watching can often feel like part of the diagnosis).
“Partly my depression makes it hard for me to follow storylines,” she told us. “By watching episodes closely together it is easier to keep track of what is going on. In the past I have driven my family crazy with “who is that again” “where are they going now” kind of questions.”
She says she also has something of a compulsive personality. “I actually find it hard to stop watching once I’m into it. I fall down the rabbit hole a bit and lose track of time, suddenly it’s night time and I’ve been watching all day non-stop.”
Bizarrely, she says she’s only binged five of the top 20 series that Netflix identified as the *most* binged shows of 2017. (Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life was number one, thanks to a combo of mass hype, heavy nostalgia and it being just four episodes long.)
But if you’re looking for recommendations, here’s what she – as an expert binger – is offering: Mindhunter, The OA, The Crown, The Killing, Helix, White Chapel, OITNB, House of Cards, Orphan Black, Suits, Broadchurch, The Mist, Lucifer and Zoo, with a few anime (Tora Dora, Seven Deadly Sins, Fairy Tail, Ouran High School Host Club) and foreign language films (3%, Hotel Beau Sejour, Crossing Lines) to keep anyone watching.
“Believe it or not, I never used to watch TV at all!” she said. “I think learning [that I’m in the top bingers in the world] will encourage me to reach out and get some help for my depression rather than waiting for it to pass as I have been for all of this year.”
Extremely good luck to this ledge, tbh. And if anyone needs something to binge watch next – here’s your recommendations from someone who’s seen it all.
