Does anyone else have trouble remembering what happened in previous seasons of series?!

[TwoDrifters2]

Partly inspired by the reminder thread about the new series of Unforgotten, but also by Netflix prompting me to watch the new seasons of The Night Agent and The Recruit… does anyone else have trouble clicking back in to a series when the last one was a couple of years ago?

I know I watched the previous seasons but when I start to watch the new episodes, I can’t remember characters’ names and relationships to one another, what their motivations are and salient plot points!

Looking online, the last aired episodes were late 2022 or early 2023 which really isn’t that long ago. Why can’t I remember them?!

I don’t think this is perimenopausal fog, maybe a symptom of binge watching and not retaining information because of how much content is constantly released?

Please tell me I’m not alone in this!

Nope every time we have a little viewing party and watch the final one of the preceding season then the first of the new one

@CoastalCalm That seems like a very wise thing to do! I try to find synopses of episodes online, but it’s not always easy.

Yeah, i do. Normally Google for a recap. Grok is good for this now.

Yes, there's been a long break between some seasons and I've totally lost the stream with some of them (and also lost interest in some because of it). We just tried watching Severance but there has been so long between seasons we just aren't following it, and can't be bothered watching the first season all over again. So we've given up after 3 episodes of the new season.

God, yeah. Same with books. I've taken to reading the Wikipedia synopsis for previous season/book before I start something.

Yep. I just go on YouTube and search for the show name, last season and recap.

@farmlife2 It’s a shame to give up on a series isn’t it, but sometimes I agree, it’s just too long a wait to have kept my attention!

you are not alone !

Happens to me all the time!
Been watching The Masked Singer and I can’t even remember who was unmasked the week before haha

Do you have the app IMDB? It gives a short summary of every episode but we always watch the last episode of the previous series too.

You are definitely not alone! I’ve worried about dementia at times when this has happened 😄

I am struggling with this. I am spending more and more time figuring out if I have watched something on Netflix as I have no recollection. Any new series I have to watch recaps before I start the new season and sometimes I still only have a vague memory. I don't know if it's perimenopause or having a toddler but I hate having this brain fog.

I think it's also due not being as invested in a show. I am often scrolling whilst watching TV rather than just watching TV. And DH and I will discuss it a bit but it's not like 20 years ago when many of your colleagues would have watched the same thing and you'd be discussing it over lunch which also embedded things into your memory.
I also have many more things to remember in life so less headspace! 12yo DS is a big Apprentice fan and we watched the first episode together. I was paying minimal attention as I don't like the show any more. DS watched episode two by himself and could reel off all of the contestants names, outfits and key moments from episode one.

Yes! I often read a recap or watch a couple of previous episodes as a reminder.

With books I have read a couple of chapters of books and thought this is familiar. I had read it already 🙈 that's kindle books for you though! Glad we aren't alone 😅 For me I also think I'm often multi tasking and probably not paying 100% attention which doesn't help.

Me too! We watch the last episode of the previous series if available, or try and find a review. I wish all series would do a prologue of what happened in the last series at the beginning of episode of the new one. Things like Line of Duty, which are complicated, we record and binge watch as we can't follow all the story with a week between episodes. Getting old!

I was like this with ' am I being unreasonable' !
Then it kind of came back to me what went on in series one.

You are not alone. For 'The Diplomat' Netflix had a stand alone 2 min recap of the prior series; it was invaluable.

Yes I'm like this, I also rarely know any characters names.

I have become like this in the last couple of years - there's just too much content to keep track of

Same here and forgot about the DCI in prison in Unforgotten and what season and why. Had to Google today. Den of Geek is good for detailed recaps.

Yea. I either look for a detailed recap online or rewatch if there's been a long break/it's a complicated plot.

I’ve had this recently with The Traitors - not a bloody clue what happened last time even though it mostly happened the night before. Thank goodness for the episode recaps.

Not only had I forgotten the plot, characters etc from first series of Night Agent, I forgot I had watched it AT ALL! It's only the fact Netflix told me I had.

@Rocknrollstar I use the IMDb app constantly! Looking back through my search list also helps remind me if I’ve watched something already or not 😁

@Olika I’ve even watched an episode of something almost all the way through before suddenly remembering I’ve watched it before 😊