To spoil or not to spoil, that is the question.
It's a given that people no longer watch television shows when they are actually on. They watch them the day after, a week later, two weeks later — even if it's a season finale, series finale, series premiere or any other key moment in the arc of a show's narrative.
Those viewers who catch those must-see episodes — like journalists who cover TV for a living — often find themselves in an awkward position. We have to file reviews and gauge reaction on various social media sites — but we are not supposed to talk about what we saw in the company of colleagues, family members or even strangers.
Mention anything about the finales of "Homeland," "Game of Thrones," "The Walking Dead," "Breaking Bad," "Scandal" or even "Downton Abbey," and someone always shouts from behind an office cubicle, another room in the apartment or even across a neighborhood bar "Don't tell me! I haven't seen it yet."
Well, why not? If the climactic episode of TV show is scheduled for the third Friday night in November, and the show's fans have been eagerly discussing exciting plot points all season, are they really supposed to keep quiet about it for days, a week or even longer while cultural laggards get on the same page?
We say no. It's time for some spoiler etiquette. Here are some guidelines.
Season or series finales. If the show goes out with a bang — which has been true for the dramas mentioned above — people should be expected to wait no longer than 24 hours to talk about it. I know, it seems strict, but there is no other choice. Besides, everyone has already tweeted about the death of Matthew Crawley or the latest evisceration on "The Walking Dead" by the time you board your local subway in the morning so video procrastinators need to get up to speed. Or be left out of the conversation entirely.
After the first 24 hours, though, the viewers in the know should still avoid mentioning any critical deaths/murders, catastrophes or revelations of mistaken identity in the finales for one more day. This restraint gives even the laziest TV watcher time to catch up via DVR, computer or smart phone.
Plot-twisting episodes. On network shows like "Scandal," these seem to occur every week, so the more you miss, the lonelier you will feel. But even on a grand, pivotal episode such as The Red Wedding on premium cable's "Game of Thrones," those who missed out could never experience its impact in the same way as viewers who saw the carnage as it happened. The time limit here is 36 to 48 hours. If you're still playing catch up, you're pathetic. Your friends and loved ones are already talking about the next episode of "The Good Wife" or "Mad Men."
Live episodes. Only life's true losers will come up to you after the winners of live TV talent contests ("American Idol," "The Voice," "The X Factor") and say, "Don't tell me who won." They don't understand the live nature of these programs is the event, designed to get everyone talking, complaining, and debating, as they did during NBC's recent live "Sound of Music" broadcast.
If they miss the Oscars or Grammys and don't want you to tell them what happened for three days, you just have to stop talking to them.
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