A few years ago, there was a show everyone was raving about. You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about Stranger Things. It put Netflix on the map as a powerhouse in the entertainment world, especially because it had something unique going for it: it was the first really big streaming service making its own signature shows. This started the debate on if streaming would kill the movie theaters (which if the invention of television and home video didn’t do it, streaming didn’t have a chance). But what ended up being more important to pop culture was how Stranger Things popularized one term: binge watching.
It’s a symbiotic relationship. The show became so popular because it invited people to watch a gripping story from start to finish. For those who couldn’t get enough of Hawkins, they could enjoy it until their eyes hurt. Then it finally felt like they had enough. The ability to binge watch is what made streaming shows so appealing and allowed them to grow a loyal audience fast. Episode 1 didn’t sell you? Well, don’t wait a week and forget the show, just check out episodes 2 and 3 right now.
However, things are changing in the streaming world, and that change has come in the form of the dreaded Season X…part 2. The first half of the season isn’t enough to satisfy the need for a story. The awkward month-long wait is just long enough to be annoying and make you lose interest or forget the show, but not long enough to make the return of the show feel like an annual event. Two part seasons are the latest example of Hollywood greed and the exact opposite reason of what makes streaming fun.
Streaming Killed the Binge Watching Star
Binge watching shows is what made streaming fun. Spending a day off fully engrossed in a gripping story, ready to talk with your friends and coworkers about it the next day, became a part of pop culture. It helped build the fan base for Stranger Things. The itch to know what was going on got scratched. The greater mystery was what would come in the next season. It was the perfect mix of satisfaction and anticipation. It’s about the closest an audience can get to having their cake and eating it too.
Wednesday Season 2 has been cut in half.
Netflix is the latest streaming service to cut a season in half. Season 2 of the hit show Wednesday is set to be a two part release. The first four episodes are out now, meaning those who like to watch their shows in bulk are effectively out of luck. There isn’t enough story in four episodes to get the same satisfaction as getting a whole story in one go. It’s been interrupted by that awkward month-long interlude.
This type of schedule just doesn’t fit the binge watchers. Netflix basically became synonymous with binge watching, and while its content by no means has to be binged, they still seem to want to appeal to that audience. A week by week release is more of Disney’s thing. Netflix just doesn’t really do that. After all, isn’t the flexibility to watch at any pace what made these original streaming shows so appealing? It’s a part of the Netflix brand. It’s unconventional, both in what it makes (at least that used to be the idea) and in how it’s not like other TV stations.
Week by Week, Little by Little
This isn’t to say that watching a new episode every week doesn’t have its charms. It’s a more modest approach. Disney tends to do this with shows they think will perform well on Disney+. They give the audience two episodes to get comfy, and then they make everyone wait a week at a time for the next installment. It requires more patience, but if a show actually does well, this strategy builds up anticipation. The conversation around the show online has to go slower. It risks fizzling out, but it also creates the perfect breeding ground for fan theories (a whole other double-edged sword itself).
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place came out weekly, then stopped, then came back weekly again.
With the return of the Russo wizards in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Disney was ready for the nostalgia views. The first season felt a little fast. The characters were introduced, the villain was a mystery, and the stakes were set. All of the sudden, the stakes were settled and the characters were at the end of their arcs. It was a questions what they had in mind for a second season, but that would have to wait a whi- oh wait, there’s a part two!
A week by week episode release paired with a month by month season release is strange. It doesn’t feel quite right. It’s like missing a step when walking down the stairs. Everything is steady until it suddenly isn’t. The show did not benefit from taking a small hiatus. If anything, it was asking for the show to be forgotten and part two never watched.
The Death of Binge Watching: Part 2
Separating one season into two parts does nothing for the audience. It doesn’t lend itself to binge watching and making a show an overnight icon. It doesn’t feed into suspense and anticipation like a weekly release does. No, a Part 2 does nothing for the audience. It’s all about the streaming service.
It’s no secret that people will sign up for a streaming service just long enough to watch one show or movie that piques their interest. Why pay for Netflix all year when you just want to watch Season 2 of Wednesday? Well, Netflix thought of that. So did Disney, and probably every other streaming service with a show they think you want to watch.
(Part 2 of) Wednesday being held hostage for a two month ransom.
To put it simply, they know you’ll be mad if streaming a show loses it’s convenience. Netflix is basically synonymous with binge watching, and they need to keep that reputation. However, they want money. If they have a hot new release, they’ll get money. But only for the one month that people sign up.
Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 came out on August 6th. Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 comes out September 3rd. You have to pay Netflix twice as much as you normally would if the show came out all at once.
It’s Not (For) You, It’s Them
You are not getting more episodes. Season 2 is only as many episodes as it was ever going to be, and that’s as much as Season 1. One month isn’t enough time for them to make more episodes for you. Besides, with how long it took to make the second season (or the first season of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, with its predecessor being off the air for a decade), they should have everything ready to go on the day Episode 1 debuts.
This new model isn’t meant to aid the viewer. It doesn’t help the hype of the show. It interrupts the viewing experience. It hinders the fun. But it spreads out the release. Disney releases shows week by week, unless they can have a small gap to make you pay for a month or two extra. Netflix still wants to have the best shows to binge, but why not force that session into two, charging twice as much for the same amount of watch time?
Maybe this can be an exercise in delayed gratification?
At this point, why not risk the spoilers and wait to pay until the show is already out? The whole season will be ready to watch. Plus, waiting it out comes with benefits. Reviews can help the audience determine if the show is even worth the money to binge it. If it is, then there should still be plenty of buzz about it when the second half of the season comes out. Streaming services are using FOMO to get more money, so a little patience may be the remedy for these two part seasons. If there isn’t any reason to stay subscribed longer than a month, why not just wait for the second month?
