You have 58 shows lying dormant on your Netflix watchlist. There are new series coming out every week. Your friends keep telling you that you NEED to watch something.
And yet… you’re rewatching Gilmore Girls for the fourth time.
You already know what happens, who ends up together and probably most lines by heart. But when you’re deciding what to watch, somehow it’s always the same few shows.
So why are we so obsessed with rewatching things we’ve already seen?
Sometimes you just don’t want to think
There is something very comforting about not having to make a decision.
Starting a new show means figuring out whether you actually like it, remembering everyone’s names, getting invested in the storyline and hoping it doesn’t suddenly become terrible halfway through.
Rewatching Derry Girls from the beginning? No thoughts required. You know the characters. You know the jokes. You know exactly what you’re getting.
And after a long day, sometimes that’s exactly what you want.
Familiar entertainment can feel easier to process than something completely new, which is part of why returning to an old favourite can feel so relaxing.
You already know you’re going to like it
There is also a safety in knowing what’s coming.
When you start a new show, you have no idea where it’s going. Your favourite character could get written out. The couple you’ve been rooting for might never get together. The ending could be terrible.
With your comfort show, none of that is a problem. You already know the ending. You know which episodes you love and which ones you might skip. You can put it on while you’re doing your homework, getting ready for bed or scrolling TikTok without worrying that you’re going to miss something important. It’s basically the TV equivalent of ordering your usual at your favourite cafe.
Sometimes you’re actually rewatching a memory
Think about the shows you watched when you were younger. There is probably at least one that instantly takes you back to a specific time in your life.
Maybe you were obsessed with the Harry Potter movies when you were 11. Maybe you first discovered Gossip Girl during a very specific era of your life. Maybe you watched Friends every evening during one particular summer.
When you watch it now, you’re not just remembering the show. You’re remembering yourself at that point in your life.
You remember who you were friends with, what you were obsessed with, where you were living, what your room looked like or what you were worrying about at the time.
Nostalgia can bring a sense of comfort and connection to earlier parts of our lives, which helps explain why old favourites can feel so much more special than just “a TV show”.
Sometimes you don’t miss the show as much as you miss who you were when you first watched it.
And you’re not the same person anymore
There is also a reason a show can feel completely different when you rewatch it years later.
You notice things you didn’t notice the first time.
Maybe a joke that went over your head when you were younger is suddenly hilarious. Maybe you realise that your favourite character is actually kind of annoying. Maybe you suddenly understand why everyone was obsessed with a particular storyline.
The show hasn’t changed.
You have.
That’s what makes rewatching so interesting. You can come back to the exact same episode at 15, 17 or 20 and take something completely different from it.
But what about all the new shows?
Of course, there is something exciting about finding a new favourite.
There is the first episode where you think, “Wait, I LOVE this.” There are the theories, the group chats, the late nights because you absolutely have to know what happens next.
But you don’t always want that.
Sometimes you want to put your phone down, get into bed, make a cup of tea and watch people you’ve already spent hours with.
And honestly? I think that’s fine.Not every night needs a new obsession.
Sometimes you just want to watch The Office again and know that, for the next 22 minutes, everything is going to be okay.
So go on, put on the comfort show. You’ve earned it.