It has been a wet & windy Jan down in the West Country, I'm currently up in Yorkshire, and I've recently had a hair transplant (more on that next time).

The combination of factors has forced a mini 'hibernation' to kick off my 2026.

An unexpected perk has been some extra time for consuming stories.

Liv & I just finished Slow Horses, Silo and Pluribus.

Two good. One bad. Can you guess which is which?

Answers at the end.

Bingeing versus savouring a series

Some people watch TV like they're managing a wine cellar.

They assess all options.
They pace themselves through a series.
They pick the very best bottles and make them last.

Others eat stories like crisps.
One episode swiftly becomes three.
One series becomes a season finished in a weekend.

Neither is wrong.

Although, in our household, we have one of each.

I'm a natural savourer. I like well thought out story arcs. A sense that the writer knows exactly how all the threads join up and where the wider tale is going (and leading you, the viewer, in the process).

Liv is a binger. If she finds a programme she likes, she devours it. The standard bedtime is optional. Another episode inevitable.

Seemingly this is not limited to television. She once played the song Because You’re Gorgeous on repeat for the best part of a week. Binger energy in its purest form.

Bingers ask​
Do I like these characters?
Do I want to stay in this world?
Do I want another episode RIGHT NOW?

Treasurers ask​
Is it worth the time investment?
Does it have a purpose?
Is the writing tight?

The Zach Bryan Binge

We were also recently discussing American singer-songwriter Zach Bryan.

I'm more on the Noah Kahan train but Liv is a big fan.

I must admit, the new album is gooood.

And that lad is prolific.

Ridiculously so.

His latest album has 25 tracks, making a total of 60 tracks since 2023.

A bit different to the 3—5 years I'd wait for the next Killers or Bon Iver album.

If your instinct is
Zach should cut this down to the best ten tracks
You might be a treasurer.

If your instinct is
Brilliant. More to sink into. When's his next?
You might be a binger.

Bryan's Bingeability rating - 8/10

Back to the screen

Despite being a savourer, two of our recent watches pulled me fully into binge territory.

Slow Horses​
Not my usual cup of tea (genre wise). Yet, it's got excellent characters, fast moving action, suspense and well, Gary Oldman 🤩 We kept hitting play on the next episode.
​Bingeability 8.5/10

Pluribus​
Recommended to me by two trusted sources and an intriguing concept... Hmmm. Liv dropped off at around episode 8. I pushed through to the end but was left scratching my head. Lots of ideas, very little narrative drive. A show I watched due to the sunk costs of having started. As always though the beauty of stories is that their appreciation is subjective. You may really enjoy it.
​Bingeability 2/10

Silo​
Much more my natural cup of tea. Big concept science fiction with proper momentum and reveals. I'm enjoying the series more than the book so far, having just finished the first Wool. The characters feel fuller on screen. Regardless, we flew through.
​Bingeability 9/10

Just one more...

So, if you're usually a savourer but find yourself saying "just one more episode," that's when you know a story's really got you by the... errr... heartstrings.

Or if you can't remember the last time you had a good binge. Maybe you need to book a duvet day in the diary? Bridgerton is back, 4 episodes at least.
​
Until next time,
Jim