The undeniable joy and comfort of rewatching a show: Why we hit repeat

Indian Express

16 hours ago

There's a particular kind of magic at the moment the Netflix cursor hovers over The Office for the seventh, or seventeenth, time. You already know Michael's going to declare bankruptcy (loudly and wrongly), Jim will shoot a deadpan glance at the camera after every absurd moment, and Pam will eventually cry in a hallway. But still, you're back — again.
For many, rewatching shows has become a default setting. When sleep doesn't knock on your door, or it's the third cleaning spree of the week, 'FRIENDS' running softly in the background just feels right. These shows may start as background noise, but they quickly become something more: companions, routines, or even emotional support TV.
For a lot of people, watching something familiar on a loop is less about pure entertainment and more about comfort, nostalgia and safety. Whether it's Alexis's 'Eww David' (Schitt's Creek) playing while you fold laundry, or Gloria's Colombian accent (Modern Family), these rewatches often feel like tiny lighthouses, gently showing us the way ahead.
Rewatching isn't just a quirky habit; it's a full-blown cultural pattern. Year after year, familiar shows rack up millions of views. In the second half of 2024 alone, just the first seasons of FRIENDS and The Big Bang Theory racked up 4.2 million views. The first season of The Office had 3.8 million views, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine's had 10.8 million. In a world saturated with new content, the big question is, why are many of us re-watching the same shows over and over again?
Comfort of familiarity
In a TEDx Talk, Dr Michael T Smith, an American professor of English and Communication, explains that humans are naturally drawn to patterns and familiarity. The repeated faces, the same intro music, the predictability of story arcs, all of it becomes a source of comfort. Our brains are wired to find safety in patterns, much like how we turn to our favourite comfort food or replay the same songs on a loop.
In fact, these shows can make us feel less alone. There's a term for it — parasocial relationships, where people form one-sided emotional bonds with Internet personalities, celebrities and even fictional characters.
Aarti N Shah, a Mumbai-based psychologist, explains that individuals dealing with mental health challenges like anxiety, which often brings isolation and procrastination along with it, tend to return to their comfort shows. These rewatches can serve as a kind of emotional shelter, subtly replacing the need to socialise, which can feel overwhelming or draining. Since the viewer already knows what's going to happen next, there's no risk of being emotionally blindsided.
Shah also notes that for people living with conditions like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, rewatching familiar shows can be especially rewarding. While they might forget day-to-day details or struggle with memory lapses, the face of a familiar character, the intro song of a beloved show, or a well-known plotline can help them feel connected.
She adds that rewatching shows and movies can trigger the release of dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain that makes us feel rewarded.
An antidote to a world of choices
Rewatching a show can also save you from decision fatigue. With a hundred tiny decisions to make every single day, what to wear or what to cook, sometimes picking what to watch just feels like another exhausting choice. Because let's be honest, opening Netflix can be overwhelming. Trailers autoplay, suggestions pile up, and the 'Add to My List' section becomes a graveyard of well-intentioned promises. With so much to pick from, the idea of committing to something new can feel like a gamble. What if it's disappointing? What if the ending ruins the whole experience? Is it just me, or am I not good enough to enjoy the show everyone's obsessed with?
The sheer volume of options can also lead to anxiety. Every new choice comes with an opportunity cost. If one thing is picked, it means missing out on another, and that can feel like a loss. But there's no such risk or pressure with rewatching. You can simply tune out and 'enjoy'. It's the opposite of that gamble.
One of the underrated joys of rewatching is the freedom it gives. You don't have to start from episode one or follow the storyline. You can skip the sad parts and jump straight to your favourite scenes. If Ross and Rachael's 'we were on a break' episode breaks your heart, there's absolutely no need to watch it. You can simply skip and move ahead, probably to a scene where Joey shouts, 'Joey doesn't share food!!'.
You don't have to be as hyper-focused as you would while watching something new, trying not to miss an important scene or subtle detail.
What's even more interesting is how revisiting an old show can reflect how much we have changed. Sometimes, the same lines hit differently. What once seemed funny may now feel problematic. A moment once skipped might suddenly resonate.
So while the world urges us to consume the next big thing, let's find comfort in sticking to the basics. It only makes us human, choosing the familiar, the reruns, the comfort zone.
Karishma Ayaldasani is a Senior Sub Editor at The Indian Express. She has previously worked as a Social Media Sub-Editor at Firstpost and as a Creative Strategist at Clematis Advertising. She holds a PGDM in Journalism and Mass Communication from Xavier's Institute of Communications, Mumbai and a degree in Economics (Honours) from Sophia College, Ajmer. ... Read More