Have you ever watched a show week by week for years and then went back and binge-watched the complete series in less than a month? If the answer is yes, you probably noticed things that you didn’t notice before. Personality traits and habits of some characters probably became more apparent. It’s completely different when you watch one episode a week for years with summer breaks in between, then watching the complete series in a month or less. I remember the first time I binge-watched a show that I used to watch when I was a kid. I bought the seasons on DVD, and I noticed how one of my favorite characters was extremely needy and had a lot of issues within themselves that they would really put their best friends through the ringer. It seemed like it was pretty exhausting being their friend. I didn’t remember that at all when I watched it on air, or even the nightly re-runs years later. By binge-watching, you really pick up on the patterns to the point where some characters come across as annoying all of a sudden. The thought of it made me think. What would I notice about myself if I could binge-watch my life from then to now?
I could think of some of the changes that I would see, like me not being as shy before. I could envision the changes and some of the bad habits that I still do to this day (like my stubbornness). I wonder if I would be frustrated about the way I would back out of things that I really wanted to do because I was so shy and timid. I wonder would I be upset that I didn’t try to push myself a little further and become more sociable. Would I even like myself if I watched a show about my life up until this point, or would I be a character that I would root against? A part of me wished I journaled more. Some people journal daily since they were teenagers, and they probably are the closest ones that get to see their evolution over the years (them, and the people who do video diaries and daily vlogs). I couldn’t say how I would feel about my role, but if I had to guess I would say that it would vary. Some seasons I would probably fall into the background and wouldn’t be as noticeable. Other seasons I would shine. There might even be some seasons where I’m frustrated with myself and wonder why she hasn’t broken through her shell yet. When I binge-watched Sex and the City, I remember how annoyed and frustrated I was with Carrie’s obsession for Big. I know the heart wants what it wants, but my goodness! She played the fool over and over again. It was embarrassing and hard to watch. At least I could say something like that wouldn’t be in my storyline, but I’m sure I would have other embarrassing/maddening habits that I would notice.
All in all, I concluded that I would try to be more of a character that I would root for and actually like. I don’t want to be a forgotten character that people forget as soon as the show is over. I don’t want to be the annoying character or even the one that’s hated. Although, some characters who have a ton of issues are fan favorites. I guess it depends on the issues and how it’s presented. Or they just might be fun to watch (examples: Dwight Schrute, Titus Andromedon, Sheldon Cooper, David Rose, and Joe Goldberg), but if you knew them in person, they might not be someone you would want to hang out with in the real world. I guess if I had to choose how I would want my character to be seen, I would say that I want her to be seen as confident, compassionate, bold, loving, human (flawed), weird in a good way, doesn’t care what people think, knows her worth, and owns who she is at every stage. One thing I love is a good character shift. You know the kind of character you can’t tolerate in the beginning, but you end up loving them towards the last few seasons after you find out more about them and when they finally own and accept themselves. It shows us that it’s not too late to change our storyline into something that we can be proud of. If I didn’t like my character before, I hope I can redeem myself in the next few seasons. I certainly plan to! 😉
JustGottaMakeIt 