The Pettiest Netflix Revenge: How a Dad Outsmarted His Ex with a Simple Red Line
Divorce can bring out the worst in people—or, if you’re clever, the pettiest. One dad in the midst of a brutal custody fight has found a tiny but oh-so-satisfying way to get his revenge: by subtly sabotaging his soon-to-be ex-wife’s Netflix binge sessions. Instead of grand gestures or messy drama, he’s chosen a weapon as innocuous as it is maddening—a single, infuriating red line.
His method? Whenever the stress and social media abuse from his ex get too much, he logs into the shared Netflix account (which he still pays for so his kids can watch cartoons) and moves the “progress bar” on whatever show she’s currently watching. With a few clicks, he skips her ahead an episode, then sets the next to the same point, leaving a trail of confusion and half-remembered plotlines in her wake. “It is surprisingly cathartic,” he confessed. And with over 5,000 upvotes and a flood of comments, the internet agrees: this is petty revenge at its finest.
Petty Revenge, Pixel by Pixel
What makes this story truly brilliant is its sheer subtlety. The original poster, u/Independent_Leg2825, isn’t out to ruin lives or even cause lasting harm—just to create a little chaos, one skipped episode at a time. As he explained in the comments, he has no contact with his kids until a court decision, but he’s careful: “I never disparaged her to them. Their mother, on the other hand, tells them lies about me constantly… I’m not allowed to react if I want to maintain the narrative that she’s the nut job so I do this every now and then. It’s my release valve and it works for me. It’s nothing serious.”
And the community is here for it. “This is peak petty revenge. Thank you for sharing,” cheered u/Miss_Fritter, while u/MargaritaKid hailed it as “finally some petty revenge that’s actually just petty and not ruining someone’s life.” It’s a rare example where a little digital mischief offers sweet, victimless satisfaction—unless you count the agony of rewatching half an episode and wondering, “Was I just too stoned last night to remember?”
The Art and Science of Digital Sabotage
If you’ve ever shared a streaming account, you know: the “Continue Watching” row is sacred. Tampering with the red line—the small indicator of where you left off—can turn a cozy binge into a puzzling ordeal. The beauty of this tactic is its plausible deniability; as u/Independent_Leg2825 points out, the ex is likely none the wiser, chalking up her confusion to a foggy memory or a late-night haze.
Redditors were quick to offer their own escalations. “Now switch up her algorithm,” urged u/Mediocre-Let-4697, suggesting the addition of hated genres and the strategic liking of awful shows. Others plotted even greater evil, like turning her profile into a kid’s account, moving shows off the favorites list, or—diabolically—blocking access to finales. “Cut her off before she sees the finale. 😈” cackled u/Aromatic_Pea_4249, earning a thumbs-up from OP himself.
Then there are the tales of kindred spirits: “I did something similar to a former friend,” admitted u/ImaginaryPark6311, who sabotaged recommendations and unsubscribed from beloved shows for maximum annoyance. Another favorite: u/TightLab100’s scheme, which involved blocking her ex’s favorite series, leaving him to blame Netflix for the mysterious disappearance.
The Petty Olympics: When Revenge Is Harmless Fun
One thing that stands out in the comments: Reddit loves petty revenge—when it’s truly petty. “This level of petty without harming anyone involved is genius,” declared u/bergermommie15. “I’m in awe of your pettyness,” added u/SloshyPickles. It’s clear that moving a little red line is infinitely preferable to the scorched-earth tactics sometimes seen in divorce wars.
But not everyone was convinced it was all harmless. u/Z_Wild pointed out, “Fighting parents is possibly ruining the kids’ lives…,” a reminder that even the smallest acts can have big emotional stakes, especially in the context of a custody battle. Yet OP was quick to clarify: the kids are shielded from the drama, and the Netflix account remains open to them. In fact, some commenters suggested creating dedicated profiles for the kids—and locking down the main account for good measure.
The best advice came from u/spacebunsofsteel: “Dear dad, please make a journal for your kids so they can see you were thinking of them every day.” In the end, even the pettiest revenge is no substitute for connection—but in the meantime, a little digital mischief can be a harmless outlet for stress.
Final Thoughts: The Red Line of Satisfaction
In a world where divorce can mean bank-draining legal battles, social media warfare, and emotional whiplash, sometimes the tiniest victories matter most. This dad’s Netflix mischief won’t make the custody fight easier, but it’s a gentle, almost poetic way to reclaim a bit of control. As u/Expert-Tie-1530 put it: “Small wins can mean a lot.”
So, next time you log into a shared streaming account, check that red line—someone might just be winning the world’s pettiest war, one episode at a time.
What’s your pettiest (but harmless) act of revenge? Would you ever mess with someone’s streaming queue, or is that a line you’d never cross? Share your stories below!
Original Reddit Post: I skip episodes of tv series that my soon to be ex-wife is watching on Netflix.