I Can’t Believe You Watched That: Playing The Waiting Game

By RACHEL M. BOLTON
Managing Editor

One of the worst parts about being the fan of anything is waiting for it to come back from hiatus, or its sequel. It’s something that everyone can relate to.

The first time that I had an agonizing time waiting for a movie, was for the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban back in 2004. In my excitement, I wrote the days counting down to the release on my calendar.  I remember how happy I was when I could say that I had one day left of waiting. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was also my first experience in disappointment when it comes to book to screen adaptions, but I was eleven at the time so I digress.

So what do fans do when they have to wait for their stories to come back? Well there is the usual drawing art of favorite characters, writing fan fiction, and debating the future of the plot.

I know that certain people think that it is silly to think on this. But considering that people spend more time waiting for new material than watching or reading it, the waiting is an important aspect of being a fan.

It is interesting to see how crazy fans get when their show comes back. HBO’s Game of Thrones season three premiered a few weeks ago. The internet exploded with pictures, gifs, and complaints about what was changed. Compared with some other shows that I watch, I was not as desperate for new episodes. I spent the hiatus between seasons reading the books, and preparing myself for the drama that season three will hold.

I will admit to being a fan of Star Trek without shame. But I will say with slight shame, how excited I have been for the sequel to the 2009 film. It is in part because I was raised by fans of the franchise, and because now that Harry Potter is over, I need that trill of waiting for a sequel.

I feel a little old when thinking about how far away 2009 is from now. When the movie came out I could not drive, I was in high school, and still had braces. Now for the sequel, I’ll be in college, teeth are fine, and my license is in my wallet.  However, it still feels like not much time has passed.

I think that in the end, how fans wait for things says a lot about the stories they follow. The better it is, the nuttier they get the longer the wait.  On the other side of media, creators have to be able to maintain an interested audience, while they produced the next part of their work. The strongest audiences are the ones that have the writers interacting with them. It makes them forgive you if you make them wait a very long time. (Looking at you George R.R. Martin).

All in all, one of the stranger parts of waiting for your show or book is finding something new to be a fan for. Then the cycle will start again. Oh boy.