Spoil-Sport: Why Talking About an Episode That's Already Aired Isn't a "Spoiler"

I'm personally against spoilers.

I can't stand them and I think they detract from the audience's appreciation of the care and effort that series' writers take to deploy the plots that they have carefully developed. I don't read the end of mystery novels for the same reason. I don't want to know whodunit before the killer has even struck. The journey is what interests me most more than the ultimate destination. I want to see how characters develop, how they change and grow, how the plot twists and turns.

In other words: I want to be surprised.

That said, a comment I received on a story (elsewhere, not on Televisionary) rankled me this morning. The reader took umbrage at the fact that I didn't include a "spoiler warning" at the start of an interview for an episode that had already aired.

Here's where my views depart from the devout spoiler-phobe. I firmly believe that, once an episode has aired across the country, all bets are off. It's a free-for-all, as far as I am concerned. Writers, critics, bloggers, whoever, should be free to discuss the episode's intricacies and plot developments with abandon. There's no need to label a post, an interview, or anything as a "spoiler" because it's not spoiling anything.

The details about the latest episode's plots, reality series eliminations, character deaths, etc. are out there in the public consciousness. Consider them public domain, if you will. And the onus to avoid them isn't on the part of the writer but on the reader.

If by some bizarre occurrence (say, I was trapped on a Martian base being chased by a water-based homicidal creature), I was to miss an episode of Doctor Who or Lost, I would firmly expect to have plot points revealed in every single piece written about Doctor Who or Lost the following day.

The burden, therefore, is on me to avoid all sites, forums, blogs, and print publications that might make mention of plot developments of which I am unaware. Likewise, BBC One will air Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars a month before BBC America does here in the States. If I want to avoid knowing just what happens, I'm going to avoid visiting any British publications and websites for several days after the special airs. I wouldn't expect those journalists to label their stories with a "spoiler" warning and I don't believe that they should.

The person in question who said that I should have labeled my story with a spoiler warning was seven episodes behind on the series in question. Now, that's not my fault. That's a choice that the reader in question made on their own. Perhaps they're catching up, perhaps they fell behind. But the day after a season finale airs, you can bet that the elements of that episode that are going to get discussed will be placed prominently and in full view of everyone.

I'd hate to think that I'd derailed anyone's enjoyment of a television series but I also think we need to revisit our definition of "spoilers" and understand that in an age of DVRs and internet viewing, it's up to the viewers and readers to be canny and aware and not reporters or critics to police themselves from inadvertently upsetting the few who might not be up to date.

What do you think? What's your take on spoilers and episode-specific reporting/criticism/interviews? Do you think journalists need to tread more lightly? Or it is up to viewers to choose their steps more carefully? Discuss.