Imagine you’re curled up on your couch, watching what you’re sure is about to be your new favorite show. The moment is tense. The music swells. The main characters are about to kiss — or maybe even kill — each other; you aren’t sure. Just as you’re about to find out, the screen goes black, and the end credits roll. You go to click the “Next Episode” button, only to find out it isn’t there. Instead, there’s a message reminding you to tune in next week if you want to see what happens.
While the situation described above might sound horrible upon first read, there’s something rewarding about being forced to wait an entire week for a new episode of a TV show. The frustration with that cliffhanger, the anticipation that builds throughout the coming days, and the excitement at finally getting those answers are feelings you just can’t get from binging a show.
The full season drop model, popularized by Netflix, fundamentally changed how audiences interact with the world of television. Instead of having to wait for an episode to air on cable, a person could watch an entire show in one sitting. This phenomenon — known as “binging” — has since become the norm, and there’s a good reason for it: binging a show produces high levels of dopamine. It makes us feel good, and that feeling is addictive. However, it doesn’t last.
When a season of a show drops all at once, the public response looks something like this: those interested in the show watch the whole thing in a few days, talk about it throughout the next week, and then promptly forget all about it, having moved on to the next new show they can binge. A month later, they might remember the names of the characters or have a vague idea of the plot, but their emotional investment has diminished. And by the time the next season comes around — which, if we’re being honest, is probably upwards of a year later — they need a thorough recap, otherwise they won’t have any idea what is going on.
So why does this happen?
Well, for starters, people have short attention spans. If someone watches a different show each week, it’s only natural that the details of said shows would grow fuzzy with time. In addition, binging a show means that you aren’t really experiencing the show, only consuming it. Jumping from episode to episode leaves no room for reflection in between. Viewers are not encouraged to think deeply about what they are watching or interact with it in any meaningful way. While it might feel euphoric to be swept up in the binge-watching craze, emptiness is soon to follow.
To put it in perspective, think of it like trick-or-treating. In the moment, receiving candy from a house might feel like the best thing in the world, but by the end of the night, you won’t be able to remember where anything in your bag came from. Your memory of the night blurs together because you didn’t take the time to reflect on each individual experience.
For some viewers, this might not be a problem. Maybe they enjoy the mindlessness of binging new shows, and that’s okay! But I think most people prefer to feel connected to the media they watch. Our favorite TV shows can shape our personality and give us an opportunity to bond with others. Unfortunately, the binge-streaming model isn’t built to foster that kind of attachment. For that experience, we need to revert to weekly releases.
Weekly releases, also known as “drip releases,” were the norm long before binge culture became trendy. Think of some of society’s most beloved shows: “Friends,” “Gilmore Girls” and “The Office,” among other fan favorites. Those shows aren’t popular just because of their content, but because of how they were presented to the public. Through weekly episode drops, audiences were given the chance to develop a sense of familiarity with the show and characters over a long period of time. Lorelai and Rory Gilmore weren’t just characters on a screen, they were friends that you got to catch up with once a week.
Not only does this result in relationships being built between the viewers and the characters, but also between the viewers and each other. Have you ever noticed how much stronger the community surrounding these shows are? Sure, everyone might be ranting about a new Netflix show right after it drops, but once the hype dies down, hardly any substantial fan base is left. Weekly releases naturally build a following. Between each episode, fans can connect with each other online, talk about their thoughts and exchange theories. They are also more likely to rewatch the newest episode in preparation for the next one.
In addition to enhancing the viewing experience, weekly releases are basically free publicity from a marketing standpoint. If you’ve ever wondered why so many Netflix shows get cancelled after their first season, even if they show real promise, it’s likely because their numbers aren’t high enough to seem profitable. This isn’t a problem with weekly releases, which is why those shows tend to run longer and stand the test of time.
Netflix has attempted to solve this problem by splitting seasons of popular shows, such as “Stranger Things” and “Bridgerton,” into parts, which are released separately over the course of a month or two. However, this doesn’t address the root of the issue. In fact, it just seems to cause frustration among fans, who can’t help but feel like they’re being taken advantage of to boost subscription numbers. This new model attempts to strike a balance between weekly releases and binging, but misses the benefits of both.
Other streaming platforms seem to understand this and have adapted accordingly. Platforms like Amazon Prime and Disney+ drop two to three episodes as part of their season premiere, then move on to weekly releases afterward. I think this is a much more effective compromise. It gives viewers enough content to hook them, then makes them wait. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a great example of this. However you feel about the show, you can’t deny how tight a grip it had on our culture while it was airing. Every time I opened social media, I was overwhelmed with posts talking about the newest episode, and I wasn’t even watching the show. It goes to show how well the weekly release model works, even in a generation that grew up with binge culture.
So which is better: binge-watching or weekly releases? At the end of the day, that’s up to the viewer. Everyone has their own preferences for watching television, and it’s not my job to dictate what’s right or wrong. That being said, if you’ve ever found yourself dissatisfied with binge culture, then I highly encourage watching a show that releases once a week. While it might be frustrating at first, the wait is almost always worth it. And who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite show!