The Reward of a Rewatch
By Tina Tully
The first time I watched That’s So Raven, I had done so in secret. I grew up in a Christian household, and my mother was against anything witches, wizards and, most of all, psychics. All three were a big no-no. Yet, it was hard to ignore the commercials on Disney Channel as they promoted their new show. I would watch promos, latching onto the few seconds as they shared what the next new episode would entail. The more episodes I missed, the more I wanted to watch, and one night, my curiosity got the best of me.
Knowing when a new episode would air, I once snuck upstairs to my mother’s room and sat in front of her small television, setting the volume low. I remember thinking how much trouble I would be if she caught me. Those thoughts disappeared as I watched and quietly laughed at every one of Raven, Chelsea and Eddie’s silly antics.
I was immersed in the episode, joyfully enjoying every second, so much so that I didn’t even realize that my mother had walked into the room minutes later, asking me what I had been watching. Firmly remaining seated on the floor in front of her television, I remember convincing her to sit on her bed and saying something along the lines of, “Wait! Just watch for a few minutes. It’s really funny!”
Part of me thought she would stay cemented in her rules that I wouldn’t be allowed to watch the show, but seconds later, I heard her laughing. Eventually, we were watching the entire episode together, then watched new episodes as they aired until its series finale in 2007, and just recently, completed another rewatch for the umpteenth time.
There are times when the stressors of the outside world become so loud that it’s emotionally exhausting. All I crave is a comforting silence — One that safely wraps me up in its arms and assures me that everything will be alright, but if you’ve got a brain like mine that loops endlessly, serenity can feel like it’s out of arm's reach. That it’s out of my grip, but I’ve learned that it’s possible to re-establish that control, and one of the ways I can stop the business of my mind is by rewatching my favorite shows or films.
Though I may know the plot like the back of my hand, there’s a perk to knowing. Whenever I rewatch a show or movie, a restoration of self-control occurs. The American Psychological Association defines self-control as “the ability to be in command of one’s behavior (overt, covert, emotional, or physical) and to restrain or inhibit one’s impulses.”
Shows like The Office, New Girl and Fleabag, and films like Clue, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Catch Me If You Can, are ones I have seen countless times. They are the ones I can quote effortlessly. They are the ones I will deliberately seek out. By rewatching, I’ve found that I’m able to recharge and restore my emotions of self-control. I can feel that comforting blanket of silence I crave after feeling drained.
For instance, New Girl’s episode featuring Prince (Season 3, Episode 14: “Prince”) is one I frequently turn to when I crave that specific comforting silence. Its typical humor and awkwardness mixed with Jess and Nick’s excited scream when seeing Prince is like medicine. I’ve lost count of how many times I have seen that episode, and it’s one of the many from the show I know that will guarantee to recharge my emotions after feeling depleted.
Even with the abundance of new films and shows, I, like many others, continuously turn to the ones I have watched more than a dozen times — The ones I never grow tired of, the so-called ‘comfort show’ or ‘comfort movie.’ Through these shows and movies, I experience a sense of ease and familiarity when rewatching them, but yet, at the same time, I’ve learned it goes beyond that. I’ve learned that rewatching shows and films has helped me mentally in more ways than one. There’s no shame in telling Netflix to continue watching Derry Girls for the tenth time. ♦