You know that person who spends 20 minutes scrolling through everything available, says there’s “nothing to watch” and then proceeds to rewatch the same TV series they’ve already finished four times?
Maybe it’s your partner. Maybe it’s your housemate. Or maybe it’s you, lying in bed after battling traffic home from work, waiting for your food delivery and deciding that tonight is definitely not the night to learn the names of 12 new characters. Before you judge, there may actually be a reason we do this.
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Sometimes, you just don’t want to think anymore
A 2026 review examining why people rewatch movies and TV shows found that people return to familiar entertainment for reasons including comfort, emotional regulation, social connection and nostalgia.
And honestly, it makes sense.
You’ve spent the day replying to messages, sitting through meetings, figuring out what to tapau for lunch and then crawling home in rush-hour traffic. Do you really want to spend your evening figuring out who’s related to whom in a complicated new drama?
With a series you’ve already watched, you know everyone. You know what happens. You can go refill your water, fold your laundry or scroll through your phone for a bit without coming back completely lost.
A study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science also found that people may be drawn towards familiar fictional worlds after exerting effortful self-control, and returning to them may have a restorative effect.
Basically, sometimes your brain wants the TV equivalent of ordering your usual at the mamak.
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Sometimes, it’s not really about the series either
There’s nostalgia involved too.
Maybe it’s something you used to watch after school while eating whatever Mum had left on the dining table. Maybe you watched it during university in between assignments. Or maybe it takes you back to when everyone in the family had to fight over the TV remote instead of disappearing into separate rooms with separate screens.
The same 2026 review found that rewatching familiar entertainment can be connected to nostalgia and identity.
And watching the same series years later can be quite funny because the series hasn’t changed, but you have.
The character you thought was romantic at 18?
Red flag.
The “annoying” parent?
Eh. Actually making sense now.
So, if your partner, friend or sibling announces that they’re watching that series again tonight, maybe leave them alone.
They’ve survived work, traffic and the eternal Malaysian question of what to makan.
Let them have their comfort show, bestie.
Also read: Did You Know: Lord Barnaby in Netflix’s Hit Series Bridgerton is Played by a Malaysian Actor?
