Warning: The way we talk about filler episodes has totally changed

I was looking at old forum threads from 2010 and then checked some from this year. Back then, people just said 'skip the filler' for shows like Naruto or Bleach. Now, the talk is way more specific, like 'episodes 136-140 have good character moments even if they're not canon.' The big change happened around 2017 when streaming sites started letting you make custom watch lists. That made people actually watch some filler to see if it was any good, instead of just skipping it all. So the discussion went from a simple rule to a bunch of different opinions. Has anyone else noticed their favorite podcast or YouTuber change how they review filler arcs?

3 comments

3 Comments

verap521mo agoProlific Poster

Streaming forced us to actually watch the garbage.

aaron7081mo ago

Did you catch that article about how streaming platforms are designed to keep you glued to one show? I read something the other day that explained how auto-play and recommendations literally trap you into finishing garbage shows because it takes EFFORT to find something new. That baking competition your buddy watched? I bet he started it thinking "okay this is dumb but maybe it gets better" and then the algorithm just kept feeding him episodes. Meanwhile with cable you'd at least flip to something else during commercials. Streaming removes all those natural stopping points. It's like the platforms KNOW you'll stick around for garbage if they make leaving too much work.

david7391mo ago

My buddy got stuck watching some awful show his wife picked, just because it was right there on the screen. He said it felt like a chore to finish it. You're right on the money, @verap52, that's exactly what happens. There's no more channel surfing to find something better, you just settle for what's in front of you. He ended up watching two whole seasons of a baking competition he hated.