Which TV shows have you mainlined?

For my last day here, I wanted to address the increasingly important topic of binging on TV shows via on demand, online, or, if you're old-school, DVD.

Usually these are shows you know are great, as many people whose taste you trust have been threatening to stop talking to you if you don't watch them soon (The Wire, Arrested Development, Lost minus the last season or two). Sometimes they're shows you picked up in season 2 or 3 but want the entire experience, or don't understand a thing that's happening now (Homeland, Downton Abbey).

Of course, this is a completely different viewing experience than tuning in every week.

I once rewatched Lost's third season (the one with the cages) on DVD (because it was ye old year of 2007) and found that it played much better than it had on a weekly basis. While it was airing, fans complained (me included) of how endless the "cages" setup felt. When it whizzed by in a few hours on DVD, it felt totally right.

I don't even understand how people watched The Wire in real time; I needed the episodes closer together to follow everything. I have fond memories of watching Alias' first season on DVD and having elaborate dreams in which I was a spy. Now, when I'm sucking down Louie's first season at a rate of two episodes most nights, I find myself walking down the street imagining the theme song accompanying me ("Louie, Louie, you're gonna die!") and wondering "What would Louie do?" whenever I get into a jam.

Not only does mainlining these shows help you understand them better, it also integrates them into your thinking in a way once-a-week viewing doesn't.

So which shows have you mainlined? How has gorging on one show affected your life?

You can find Jennifer Keishin Armstrong on Twitter at @jmkarmstrong or at her website.