Episodic Television and Instant Gratification

So, my husband and I aren't exactly hip. You'll see that this is true by dint of the fact that I used the word 'hip'. We're usually not on the up with whatever is currently fashionable, we're always a season or five behind. Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to our television watching.We watched The Wire after it had been cancelled, we started Mad Men series one during Mad Men series four, and we finished watching the last episode of Arrested Development on Sunday.

Ok, so watching television series later than everyone else has its downsides. You are at constant risk of spoilers. The jokes that your friends tell go right over your head. You feel out of the loop. But that's balanced by the fact that, when watching a show later, you can set the pace yourself. Cliffhanger at the end of an episode? Well, you can find out what happened right now. Sure, you may miss out on an hour or two of sleep/household chores/other important things, but it's still your choice.

Recently. my husband and I started watching Game of Thrones. Yes, it's current, but two historians tuning into  a fantasy show based loosely on the War of the Roses does not make us hip. Or whatever the cool kids are saying these days. But because of this, we're watching it at the same pace as everyone else. Almost every week there's a cliff-hanger and we're left, open-mouthed, staring at the credits in shock. 'What can we do? ' we ask each other. 'How can we find out what happens next?' But there's nothing we can do.

My husband cracked, and got the book a few weeks into the series. He finished earlier than the series, and is now on book two. He's dreading the moment when he reaches the end of book four...although book five is due to be released this summer.

Have we all become spoilt? There was something nice, albeit frustrating, to looking forward to something all week. It reminded me of the serialised stories that used to be released in parts during the Victorian age. What do you guys think? Is it better to get an entire story in one go? Or rationed out?

**After all the opinions I got in comments yesterday, I decided not to review the book. Thanks for the help guys!**