Spoilers! They are everywhere; all thanks to the internet. It’s inevitable to come across some sort of spoilers for a movie, TV show, or book you want to read. The feeling of having something spoiled is a little bitter-sweet: On the one hand, you are angry because you can never again experience the feelings of watching or reading something for the first time. You feel as though your emotional experience has been diminished. On the other, you are relieved in some way. You have an end to a beginning, or answers to questions.
I’m sure that having something spoiled is terrible, but it does not necessarily mean you won’t be able to enjoy it anymore. Your emotional experience is not entirely over. The fact that you might know a big secret or a huge plot point does not equate to a boring or “sucky” experience. As cliché as it might sound, remember that it is not about the destination. It’s about the journey.
The journey is what makes things really interesting. All the theories you had before the spoilers are either confirmed or rejected. The exciting part is not about how right your theories were in regards to a certain aspect of the story. The fun starts when you become a true detective, spying and finding clues or evidence that support your new theory.
You are able to look for the details along the story that help get to the end. The lines become blurred, allowing you to read between them in hopes of finding meaning behind the foreshadowing used. You are flooded with insight, allowing you to criticize the piece from a new perspective. You see the merits and the flaws in the plot, all the loose ends of the story, and the never-ending sea of questions slowly vanish.
Next time someone or something spoils your favorite movie, TV show, or book, just don’t freak out or get angry! You have such an amazing and unique opportunity. You will get an experience that won’t require you to re-watch or re-read anything, so seize it and enjoy it.
