My Love/Hate Relationship with Streaming Services

How a €1.99 Deal Lured Me Back into TV Land (Temporarily)

For the past year, my household has been on the wildest streaming service carousel known to mankind. One minute we’re Netflix loyalists, the next we’re juggling Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Disney+ like we’re some kind of TV connoisseurs. Spoiler alert: we’re not. It’s always because of *free trials* or *insanely low promos*. We don’t commit, and I’m okay with that. Deep down, I find TV a colossal waste of time. I’d much rather read a book (I’m sophisticated like that) or doom-scroll the internet for news.

Yet, every so often, something happens. A new season of a show drops, and I get this irrational urge to find out if it’s still good, or if it’s face-planted after season two, as most shows do. You know that feeling, right?

This time around, it’s Disney+ that sucked me back into the black hole of streaming. Why? Because they offered me three whole months for the tempting, irresistible price of €1.99. I mean, €1.99—how do you even resist that? I’ve spent more on an overpriced coffee that didn’t even taste good. Plus, I was dying to watch the latest season of “Only Murders in the Building” (season 4, baby!) and “The Bear”. And guess what? I’m pleasantly surprised. “Only Murders” is still killing it (pun fully intended). The cast is still top-notch, and the storyline hasn’t veered into “what-is-going-on-here” territory like so many shows after their second season. As for “The Bear”, I haven’t dived into the new season yet, but I have faith—it hasn’t let me down yet.

Oh, and “Shogun”—that’s been all over Disney+, too, with rave reviews. I’m intrigued, so that’s next on the list. Look at me, suddenly Mr. Streaming Enthusiast.

But here’s the thing: I know this is all temporary. In three months, when my €1.99 deal evaporates and they ask me to pay “real money” for a subscription, I’ll ghost them so fast they won’t even know I was there. Streaming services, we had a good run, but I’m a commitment-phobe when it comes to TV. I’ll be back to my regularly scheduled avoidance soon enough.

The only real MVP in all of this? YouTube. It’s free, endless, and always has something fresh and weird to entertain me. I could go from watching an insightful documentary to a cat wearing a taco costume in the space of two clicks. YouTube, you never let me down. Streaming services, though? Enjoy my €1.99 while you can. I’ll see you in a few months… or not.