Torturous Wait vs. Instant Gratification
You know, it's been interesting dissecting my emotions re: Doctor Who. As I've mentioned in past entries, I watched the first season a little over two years ago in one fell swoop. Fell in love with Christopher Eccleston's Doctor and the Doctor/Rose relationship. Then whoops, at the end he was gone and there was suddenly David Tennant standing in his place and I felt betrayed. A few months ago, I decided to dive in again and watched all of season two in quick succession, finding by the end that while I didn't love David's Doctor like I did Eccleston's, I did love him, and I still loved the Doctor/Rose relationship.
Then came season three, watched over the course of a month or so as they were all available but with no Rose, there wasn't the mustwatch! all at once factor. Then I started season four -- even though it was in the midst of airing. And somewhere along the way, I got hooked. Obsessed. Bowled over. Consumed. Pick a term. I was there. And so I've spent the last few weeks bemoaning the fact that I hadn't just waited until season four was over before diving back in. That way there would be no torturous wait, I could watch it all in one fell swoop again and not suffer the agonizing frustration of waiting a FULL SEVEN DAYS!! before seeing the next episode.
But then something hit me last night as I was reading post after post on Time & Chips, and reading and discussing the after-episode reactions from all of the lovely new people in the Who-verse I've friended. Had I waited and jumped in after the season was over, sure I would have been able to watch it all together; I would have lovely, wonderful instant gratification. But, but, but ... I wouldn't have the experience of being a part of the fun, the agony, the frustration, the squee and the joy with all of my fellow addictees.
So, if the option is instant gratification or torturous wait ... as long as the wait comes along with a wonderful fandom with whom to share that torture, I pick the wait.
Then came season three, watched over the course of a month or so as they were all available but with no Rose, there wasn't the mustwatch! all at once factor. Then I started season four -- even though it was in the midst of airing. And somewhere along the way, I got hooked. Obsessed. Bowled over. Consumed. Pick a term. I was there. And so I've spent the last few weeks bemoaning the fact that I hadn't just waited until season four was over before diving back in. That way there would be no torturous wait, I could watch it all in one fell swoop again and not suffer the agonizing frustration of waiting a FULL SEVEN DAYS!! before seeing the next episode.
But then something hit me last night as I was reading post after post on Time & Chips, and reading and discussing the after-episode reactions from all of the lovely new people in the Who-verse I've friended. Had I waited and jumped in after the season was over, sure I would have been able to watch it all together; I would have lovely, wonderful instant gratification. But, but, but ... I wouldn't have the experience of being a part of the fun, the agony, the frustration, the squee and the joy with all of my fellow addictees.
So, if the option is instant gratification or torturous wait ... as long as the wait comes along with a wonderful fandom with whom to share that torture, I pick the wait.