I wish I hadn’t watched the Game of Thrones leaked episodes. I really do: It ruined me on this whole season, and I like the show a lot less than I probably would have otherwise. Alas, that is the peril of binging on a show that is not meant to be binged—at least not the first time through. O ye who didn’t watch the leaks—how I envy you!

I Shouldn’t Have Watched The Game of Thrones Leaks

I have no guilt over watching the leaks of the first four episodes of Game of Thrones season 5, even though HBO is now sending very mildly unpleasant letters to those who have streamed them. After all, I had an actual press screener: I had every right to watch these (Okay, technically it was someone else's screener). And I did, straight through, with maybe two pauses from beginning to end. And man, do I regret it.

Here’s the thing. Game of Thrones is different from a show like House of Cards or Daredevil. It is not a perfect show—heck, I am increasingly sour on it—but it does have a lot of nuance and attention to detail (even when new plot arcs don’t make sense). Binging a show is all about the big strokes, not the little details. You miss things. The episodes, by necessity and nature, run together.

That’s what happened when I watched the Game of Thrones leaks, and it’s why I wish I hadn’t: I couldn’t tell you what happened in episode 2 or episode 4 for the life of me. It was just a four-hour sequence of events that were increasingly different from the books, and increasingly got my ire up. I wasn’t enjoying the fun details or the surprise return of Jaqen H’ghar. Only the broad strokes captured my attention. There’s no way to avoid that. Except by not watching the screener episodes.

Alas, I may be permanently soured on Game of Thrones season 5 because of it—but then, wasn’t I already? But the experiment, which so many of us partook in, is revealing. Game of Thrones is a show meant to be watched one episode at a time. Each one is like a mini-movie, self-contained with themes of its own—it’s one of the show’s great strengths. That’s lost when binging, either on leaked episodes or on the whole season after it comes out. And now I know: Everyone should watch Game of Thrones as it airs. Not before, not after. Watch it on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday nights. Don’t wait longer. The show is better for it.