The Art and Science of Comfort Rewatching (Including Parks and Rec Again, and Again)

You’ve had a long day. The boss was grumpy, the dog ate your favourite running shoe, and your inbox is now sentient and hostile.

You sit down, exhale dramatically, and stare at your streaming queue. Seven shiny new shows beckon—critically acclaimed, beautifully lit, maybe even foreign-language (so cultured!). And yet… your thumb, with a will of its own, scrolls past them all and lands on Parks and Recreation, Season 3, Episode 7.

Again.

Is this laziness?

Emotional bankruptcy?

A glitch in the Matrix?

Science says: absolutely not. You’re basically a neurologist now.

According to a study from the State University of New York (SUNY)—yes, real science, not just your Netflix history—rewatching familiar shows is a form of emotional regulation. That’s right: you’re not procrastinating, you’re performing low-key psychological triage.

Dr. Jaye Derrick, a psychologist and apparent comfort-TV evangelist, explains that rewatching beloved series is like checking in with old friends who don’t judge you for wearing the same sweatpants three days in a row. These “parasocial relationships”—one-sided emotional connections with fictional characters—give us a cozy hit of connection without the pesky need to, you know, make eye contact or reply to texts.

In other words, rewatching is not a red flag. It’s emotional maintenance. Like flossing, but for your brain.

Predictability Is the New Plot Twist

In a world full of unpredictable chaos (looking at you, 24-hour news cycle), knowing exactly what Leslie Knope is going to say next is soothing. No plot twists. No last-minute betrayals. No “previously on…” needed. Just sweet, sweet predictability. It’s like hugging a weighted blanket that also knows how to deliver flawless comedic timing.

Plus, avoiding decision fatigue is a real thing. Choosing a new show every night is exhausting. Do you want a dystopian thriller or a French pastry competition hosted by former astronauts? (Yes, that’s real. Possibly.) Or do you want The Office, Season 2, when Jim still had hope and Dwight hadn’t yet been allowed near a megaphone?

Nostalgia: The Brain’s Emotional Comfort Food

When we rewatch shows from a simpler time—aka the golden age of the early noughties—we’re not just indulging in nostalgia, we’re giving our minds a mini-vacation. That Friends rewatch? That’s not regression. That’s restoration. Like yoga, but with more sarcasm and coffee mugs the size of hot tubs.

So next time someone scoffs at your ninth rewatch of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (not joking), just tell them: “I’m engaging in proactive cognitive stability-building.” Then press play. Preferably while wrapped in a nice warm blanket with your favourite pair of warm socks.

You’re not wasting time. You’re regulating. You’re self-soothing. You’re a psychological pioneer with a remote control.

That’s your excuse and you are definitely sticking to it.

Now go forth and rewatch that one Schitt’s Creek episode that always makes you cry-laugh. For your well-being, obviously.