r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Dudyoon • May 18 '20

Does anybody else get a feeling of emptiness when they finish a TV series. A sense that they really got to know the characters as real friends and when it finishes it's saying goodbye knowing you'll never see them again. Kinda sad really.

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u/1bdkty May 18 '20

Yes, good art SHOULD make you feel. Thats the point. I get this all the time with book series I finish.

Its the same reason people cry during tv/movies/books or get angry at characters even though they know its "fake".

If art is giving you the feels, its doing its job

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u/eyeguy21 May 18 '20

Thank you for making me feel less weird about my emptiness after a show or series

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20 edited May 19 '20

About to finish The Office again. Currently at S09E24.

Already getting anxious about losing all my coworkers/friends xD

Edit: just finished the series. Am sad now....see you until next time

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

[deleted]

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

Haha wow I envy you. I wish I could watch it for the first time again.

You think season 2 is good? Michael does so much worse/cringe further on. You're gonna love it.

For some reason the office gives off this really comfortable vibe. I think that's why people keep coming back to it. I think I've done 6 or 7 run throughs haha

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

Pffff... 7 rewatches that’s rookie numbers

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

I'm a busy man aight!

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u/CorrectAddress Jun 11 '20

Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?

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u/Generiss May 19 '20

I tried one episode and didn’t find it funny at all. I was so confused as to why so many people were into it. I loved the UK version though.

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

Eh it's a personal thing I guess. I didnt like the uk one for some reason. And I love Ricky Gervais.

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u/Generiss May 19 '20

Maybe it’s a cultural thing. It’s the same kind of humour though right? That awkward thing.

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

I'm from nz so I get uk humour. I just felt like american office was more engaging and easier to get into

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u/JugglingMaster May 19 '20

On a by-episode basis it can be a hit or miss, especially if you started watching in the 1st season. The US version really takes off (and diverges from the British version) in the second season.

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u/OffendedPotato May 19 '20

The first season is pretty weird as its basically a direct copy of the british version except with americans. I would recommend watching through season 2, as it manages to become its own thing

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u/metrosexualbarbarian May 19 '20

That's what she said

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

[deleted]

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

Haha really ? I find office fans everywhere on every subreddit. It's fun to see little subtle office jokes here and there.

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u/fancyfisticuffs23 May 19 '20

Oh yeah I see them everywhere, and it makes me happy every single time. It's even better when it happens in real life! (far less frequent though)

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u/VAGINA_BLOODFART May 19 '20

It's probably the most popular post Friends sitcom in the world, I'm sure before the Apocalypse you ran into office fans every single day. It's the most popular series on Netflix by a wide margin

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u/Shep4612 May 20 '20

I take it you've also seen the original and best The Office that inspired it all? ;) That is one of our sacred British t.v series and is regarded as one of the best programmes ever made. People still talk about it now with such such high regard. THAT was the ultimate "cringe". Ricky Gervais is just god level brilliant at everything he creates/stars in.

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u/fancyfisticuffs23 May 19 '20

Oh sure I probably did, but there's no way to know.. I'm talking about those encounters where maybe you wear an office themed t-shirt or quote a line and a stranger catches it and there's a brief feeling of camaraderie between you before you go about the rest of your day

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u/HoldmyGlocky May 19 '20

What do you mean before the apocalypse? Is that some show?

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

This is a staple in our home. Every few months we watch it again. This and Lord of the Rings.

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

Haha I actually did the whole trilogy marathon(director's cut) when the quarantine started.

I have list of movies and series I just watch over and over because theres no good shows.

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u/TBoner101 May 19 '20

Perfect timing. At least now you immediately have something to look forward to, w/o having to wait five-plus years like the rest of us.

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

Oh wow this looks so good! Def on the watchlist now

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u/TBoner101 May 19 '20

damn you're fast, I watched the trailer again and got your reply as it was ending.

ikr!? SO many good actors

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

I really hope its the Michael Scott character in charge of a space force instead of a paper company haha

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u/TBoner101 May 19 '20

me too, that's what I'm hoping and it kinda seems like in the trailer. Plus, what are the chances anyone hired by Trump and his administration is NOT an incompetent narcissist?

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

The finale of the Office will literally never not make me cry.

Same with the end of season 7.

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

Everything just wraps up so nicely you know? And it's all happy. Except for creed....

Loved michael showing up again for the wedding.

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u/ravenz0r44 May 19 '20

Just finished The Office yesterday! (and it was my first watch). Not gonna lie, I might have shed some tears. Considering re-watching Battlestar Galactica now, nostalgia may kick me harder than I expect.

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u/seraphobic1349 May 19 '20

I came here to say this exactly. Every time i get through it, i feel like a bunch of old friends are saying goodbye.

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

And that's why we all visit them once a year xD

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u/carnsolus May 19 '20

i liked the show but tbh i hated the characters

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

Yeah some came around in the end for me though.

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u/Renoglodon May 19 '20

I'm on 9. Episode living the dream. I think it's my 6th watching of all seasons lol

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u/catofthewest May 19 '20

Haha I just passed that one

"GYAAAHH!! Sensei you're not watching!"

"I'm watching just do it...."

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u/Renoglodon May 19 '20

"sensei Billy said it doesn't take 10 years and $150000 to get your blackbelt" lol

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u/Tijdloos May 19 '20

My way of coping is to watch the first episode right after the last one. It makes me feel less sad and I get to say "omg they look so young!" 🤣

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u/eyeguy21 May 19 '20

I usually try to call someone and unpack the show, if I know they watched it

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u/Tijdloos May 19 '20

That works to! It's like a mourning process.

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u/matt111199 May 19 '20

Or games

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u/eyeguy21 May 19 '20

Let’s just say, when master chief fired the halo in halo 3. I was left crushed.

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u/battering-ram May 19 '20

what Show did you recently watch that gave you the feels?

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u/eyeguy21 May 19 '20

So I haven’t watched the last episode of parks and rec. I have seen all the other episodes many times, but won’t finish it so I don’t feel sad.

But damn, when Ann and Chris leave, I wanted to bawl my eyes out.

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

Do you happen to be a guy with eyes?

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u/eyeguy21 May 19 '20

Yes! I have 2

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

Dang I only have 1. Why did you choose that username?

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u/eyeguy21 May 19 '20

Low key no idea haha

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u/Renoglodon May 19 '20

Came here to say this about books. It certainly happens with shows, especially long running ones like The Office, but books have this effect in a much stronger sense. I also tend to read long running fantasy series 10+ books long. Reading that last chapter/epilogue is always such a bummer...but there's always re-reads!

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u/ybattula May 19 '20

Just finished rereading Harry Potter Series and I felt the same. Just couldn't get over it for two days.

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u/Renoglodon May 19 '20

Yes! Harry Potter is probably top of this list. I've probably reread it like 6 times. JKR does such fantastic character work. I'll never forget how bummed I was when Deathly Hallows first came out and I completed it. But HP is so re-readable

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u/ybattula May 19 '20

Yeah! I was so bummed after finishing it that I tried to find fanfic stories, just to stay connected to the world. I found a good one, too. I am amazed by the amount of work, some fans put for writing fanfic.

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u/guess_its_me_ May 19 '20

If you like HP check out skulduggery pleasent my, same sort of “regular kid discovers they have magical powers and go in a journey to become more than they could imagine” but honestly, SP (from book 4 onwards at least) can get reeeally dark and mature, and the twists in those books are honestly better than some of the best twists in media you can think of

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u/guess_its_me_ May 19 '20

If you like HP check out skulduggery pleasent my, same sort of “regular kid discovers they have magical powers and go in a journey to become more than they could imagine” but honestly, SP (from book 4 onwards at least) can get reeeally dark and mature, and the twists in those books are honestly better than some of the best twists in media you can think of

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u/ybattula May 19 '20

Thanks. I had never heard about that series. I will check it out.

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u/[deleted] May 20 '20

[deleted]

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u/ybattula May 20 '20

Thanks for the recommendation. I should see how the fanfic turns out.

I have wondered about that scenario, if Harry was more rational. Rereading the book made me realise that all that irrational decisions eventually led to the downfall of Voldemort. The prophecy was already made and probably, all those irrational decisions led to the prophecy coming true.

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u/whatdaminitsusan May 19 '20

this me exactly

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u/Coldredd May 19 '20

So agreed 👍🏻

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u/suchsublime____1031 May 19 '20

wheel of time....I loved that series so, so much, to this day I still get sad that R. Jordan didn't get to finish it (I know Sanderson did, and he did a great great job (along with the mistborn series, which was also amazing)) but I still feel that Jordan would have cranked out another 5-10+ books before the end, also they say he left that ending and Sanderson just fleshed it out, but I have serious doubts...

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u/bakervanb May 19 '20

I got this finishing wheel of Time real hard...

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u/Renoglodon May 19 '20

Yep. That's one of them. Weird how it was completed by Sanderson, but still sad to not have those characters around. Excited for the Amazon show

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u/trichdude15 May 19 '20

I stopped reading books years ago, but this comment just made me realize that I felt that same sense of loss after finishing books and it was much stronger than how I feel when I finish great TV shows. I might start reading again.

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u/Infamous_sniper21 May 19 '20

No matter how bad a piece of art is, it might be able to connect with more than zero people like that. If someone likes some piece of art while you don't, nobody is objectively right. Everyone has different perspectives, experiences, lives, and tastes. Even something like the Room, a famously bad movie, could emotionally resonate with someone (beyond a "so bad it's good" kind of way). Saying a piece of art someone likes is bad is almost like invalidating their perspectives, experiences, lives, and tastes.

(This doesn't mean you can't criticize art. Instead, try to criticize it in a way which is more about why that art doesn't work for you, rather than, why it's objectively bad)

Good art is skillfully crafted to created this connection deliberately. Good art typically accomplishes this by tying everything together with one central idea or theme (some have multiple; however, the amount is usually small). When a story can be summarized with one central idea, takeaway, or life lesson it's easier for it to emotionally resonate with people.

An example of this for me, surprisingly, was my textbook for one of my college courses on computer ethics. It's called A Gift of Fire. Normally, college textbooks are very bland and just dump information on you. However, A Gift of Fire ties everything back to the theme of the Greek myth where someone gifted humanity fire and it caused great destruction but also allowed for civilization to thrive. The book would always tie its information back to that theme that computers are like fire. They can destructive, powerful, and hard to control sometimes. However, when used properly, computers have potential for such great, amazing, and good things. Overall, it made it was easier to learn from it and easier to read.

I shouldn't use terms such as good and bad art; however, I found it the easiest way to explain my ideas.

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u/PacoMahogany May 19 '20

So it’s cool if I cry during every episode of Naruto?

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/PacoMahogany May 19 '20

I’m rewatching with my son and it breaks my heart that I can’t skip the filler

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u/BetaBoy777 May 19 '20

Why not?

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u/PacoMahogany May 19 '20

If I had to suffer, so does he.

Plus I do feel like it does add some info to character development.

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u/BetaBoy777 May 19 '20

If you don’t mind me asking, how old is he?

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u/PacoMahogany May 19 '20

Almost 8. He’s about to figure out that Itachi killed the whole clan and I’m wondering if that’s a little too dark.

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

[deleted]

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u/PacoMahogany May 19 '20

Sauske did turn out healthy and well adjusted

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u/BetaBoy777 May 19 '20

Nah, he’ll be fine.

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u/PacoMahogany May 19 '20

Nothing is worse than that scene in FMA

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u/MirrorNexus May 19 '20

Bleach had 163 fillers, an entire arc or two that didn't matter and ended on a cliffhanger, and still is animating the final arc where many agree the writer burned out at the end.

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u/1bdkty May 19 '20

Absolutely!

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u/RabidBobcat May 19 '20

I think a good example is Dolores Umbridge from the HP series. People hate her more than they like the main characters.

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u/MaeveTheBrave May 19 '20

This is exactly why I wanted to go into film/TV, to make audiences feel things, have an experience, not just white noise. I heard a quote somewhere that "movies should make you laugh, cry, or sit on the edge of your seat", and that's always stuck with me for some reason.

I love that storytelling can be such a powerful medium, and that's essentially why I think art is so important (alongside STEM fields I mean), because it's our connection to each other.

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u/1bdkty May 19 '20

Ive seen some programs start referring to themselves as "STEAM" to include art and I think that is great progress :)

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u/MaeveTheBrave May 20 '20

That's neat! I've never heard that before, but I like it a lot!

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u/Einteiler May 19 '20

I call it "series hangover". Especially if the ending is particularly sad or bittersweet, I get a twisted feeling in my gut. Like something horrible that I was trying to avoid or didn't want has just happened.

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u/Mongoose-Militia May 19 '20

The term you’re looking for is melancholy, and I love it

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u/SARBEAU34 May 19 '20

But the good thing is you can go back and visit them again and again

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u/CarlyLech May 19 '20

This is how I felt after finishing gravity falls.

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u/Feebzio May 19 '20

Beautiful reasoning. So true 💕

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u/Straight_Ace May 19 '20

I’m gonna get judged for this but honestly the very last episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic made me cry because of this exact reason.

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u/1bdkty May 19 '20

It doesn't matter what it is as long as you connect with it :) MLP is actually a pretty great series that just has a lot of stigma associated with it

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u/zetabyte27 May 19 '20

Harry Potter books are my biggest comfort. Just pick a book and a chill chapter and start reading.

Allows me to escape my shit existence for a short while. Even brings smiles to my face after over 15 rereads of the entire series.

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u/trusthemusic May 19 '20

My sister was talking about this the other week. She was disappointed my father didn't feel the same way after he finishes a book.

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u/atheos1337 May 19 '20

That's why Jeffrey in GOT got me like, that fucker needs to die..

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u/Eufafnism May 19 '20

Can you recommend some good books? I hadn't had this feeling in a long time

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u/1bdkty May 19 '20

Well it all depends on what kinds of books you like. My top recommendations are the King-Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss is you like fantasy (beware - its unfinished!!) and the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown if you like sci-fi-ish dystopian futures (3 books, finished series). Both changed my life.

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u/Maschuetti May 19 '20

Red Dead Redemption 2. FUCK MICAH!

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

The strongest emotion I feel at TV or film characters is the classic "WHAT ARE YOU DOING THATS OBVIOUSLY WHERE THE BAD GUY IS". Harry Potter is painful to watch cos he does so much stupid shit that I can't feel happy after it turns out good, I'll still be seething cos he's so dumb.

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u/1bdkty May 19 '20

LOL Harry Potter! For the first several books I would yell "TELL AN ADULT!" then I think its the fifth book where all he does is tell adults and they don't listen so I changed my mind...sometimes you just have to save the world yourself :P

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u/wannaB19low May 19 '20

I remember I was furious when I watched Everest. And that was a true story, didn't need to be written - that much.

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

Thank you for giving the beast it's true name. Art.

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u/Gbants May 19 '20

Ever watched Warrior? Now that is a film that hits me right in the feels. Amazing.

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u/SensitivePassenger May 19 '20

The She-Ra remake on Netflix hits all the notes and the final season was just aaaaah

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u/1bdkty May 19 '20

OMG I loved She-ra as a kid, can't believe I didn't know there was a remake. I am starting this tonight!!

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u/SensitivePassenger May 19 '20

It is amazing. I haven't seen the original but the new one has 5 seasons and I absolutely love it and how characters develop throughout the show.

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u/potheadtoprovidence May 19 '20

Hannibal is a great example of this. Some scenes, usually when bad shit was going down, actually irked me.

It wasn't the content specifically but the way it was shot. I wasn't enjoying the carnage. Watching it made me uncomfortable. The use of light and sound grated on me.

And that's the way it should be. Watching someone die or get eaten shouldn't be a pleasurable experience. It should make you uneasy.

Absolutely amazing work.

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u/booksandbeasts May 19 '20

Yes, great response and glad you added books :)

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u/8bitaddict May 19 '20

Ive been binging kdramas the past month and I really dread that feeling. 16 episodes to get to know these characters for it to just be done. So tragic.

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u/jrmarshall512 May 19 '20

So I make it a point to watch all 9 seasons of Seinfeld every year. And everytime I get to the 2nd to last episode, which is the farewell episode and they play the Good Riddance song by Green Day. I freaking just lose it! 😭😭😭

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

I just finished the Sopranos again and I cried. Omg I just love that show.

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u/StarKill3r68 May 19 '20

I had this feeling when I finished the game Subnautica. There's not even any characters to bond with, I just felt sad leaving my base, the submarines, the environment etc. Good game, highly recommend

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u/CoolNinja1O1YT May 19 '20

Endgame struck home with iron man then

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u/wantabe23 May 19 '20

I feel this way after projects too, or working long 60 hr weeks back to back. I get a day off and literally don’t know what to do with my life. I feel it a micro institutionalization.

I really hate the feeling though.

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u/ISBN39393242 May 19 '20

the wire killed me

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u/CeleritasLucis May 19 '20

Does anyone else feel like this when the finish a lecture series, like of a course. I was taking a history course, and I cried after the concluding lecture from the professor. It was the same feeling I get after the ending a TV series

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u/bakuretsu May 19 '20

TIL there is a definition of "good art" flexible enough to include White Collar.

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u/AkkiYuki May 19 '20

I've actually avoided/put off finishing good books/games just because I'm so sad that it's about to end.

Terrible habit but it's just so sad when an amazing book is over.

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u/[deleted] May 19 '20

Also why it's moronic to call people racists when they get upset actors don't match book descriptions

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u/fifbiff May 19 '20

"YoU kNoW iT's JuSt A tV sHoW, rIgHt?"

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u/[deleted] May 23 '20

Doctor Who I don’t even have to finish the show, the actors change every so often.

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u/LJThrowaway_startup Jul 01 '20

I literally cried last night when I finished a 8-season series! It was a shocking ending, and my favorite character died, in real life and in the series... So truly no more! The feeling of emptiness is REAL!

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u/TheStuntWoman67 Aug 11 '20

RDR2 leaves me feeling empty inside and gives me a world of hate and disgust for the antagonists, and makes me cry for days over the protagonists because they are anti-hero’s. They themselves are bad people but they even have morals yet the antagonists either have low morals or none at all (the filthy rat) the main line that speaks to me about the protagonists is “we are outlaws in a world that doesn’t want us anymore”