Pro Payoffs Referring back to Simon and Weiners beef with episode reviews, when you watch a show all at once you get the payoff much sooner. When writers drop little Easter eggs or crumbs in episode one, when you get to episode twelve or thirteen days later (rather than months) the picture is clearer than it was, and its easier to appreciate the episodes as a piece of the puzzle rather than filler. For example, this past season of Boardwalk Empire had a slow start, focusing on plot lines involving Chalky Whites daughters boyfriend, the medical student, and then was seemingly abandoned for a chunk of the season, only to be brought back in a big manner. Having watched the season in one week (opposed to 12), I was less inclined to moan through the slower episodes because I knew the reward was coming.
Con Spoilers (And yes, this paragraph may contain spoilersnotably for Showtimes Dexter) If you choose to sit on a show until you can stream the whole series or get the DVD set, you are subject to major spoilers. This is especially true if youre a pop-culture junky. Obviously, its wise to avoid message boards and even Wikipedia pages for spoilers (even IMDBs number of episodes an actor appears in has spoiled a show before), but shows reference other shows and aren't concerned if you havent caught-up on Game of Thrones or Dexter yet. Coming in late to a show can take the air out of a few gasps fans had during their week-to-week viewings. Even noticing Julie Benz was on No Ordinary Family during Dexters fifth season could connect the dots.