A Day Late and a Dollar Short: When You Can’t Watch Your Favorite Shows as They Air

It happens to all of us. So many shows, so little time. Sure, there’s DVR, Hulu, Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon … the list goes on, but how do you keep from ruining the shows and episodes you haven’t seen yet? You can’t change a channel or click a link without learning some sort of spoiler. “Oops. I looked at Twitter while [Favorite Show #5] was recording, and now I know the ending” or “Oh, great, I haven’t caught up on [Favorite Show #16] yet and this headline just told me what happens three seasons from now.” It happens–there’s no avoiding it.

So what do you do?

Sometimes, avoiding media while you’re in your catch-up period can help. But sometimes it can’t be avoided. And then there are your friends and coworkers, who are all to happy to gossip about the latest episode. It’s not intentional; they’re just excited about all the awesome that they’ve seen.

What do I do? I tend to go to bed early, so I end up watching the majority of my shows the next day. A day late. A dollar short. The best method I’ve found is to tune out any possible spoilers. Browsing Facebook? Either unfollow the shows while they’re airing, or scroll as fast as you can when you’re looking to see what Grandma’s quilting club whipped up for the charity auction. See your unwatched show hashtagged on Twitter? Close that window!

You’re never going to avoid all of the spoilers, but the best way is to steer clear of places you know they’ll be. And in the meantime, enjoy the shows that you can watch live.