You’re frozen in bed, so wrapped up in the scene unfolding before you that you don’t dare move a muscle. As your eyes remain glued to the screen, Tyler Galpin hurdles his body down the hall — his animalistic frame frantic with the need for revenge, all the while Wednesday Addams stares him down, no weapon in hand. Adrenaline is rushing through you as you place yourself in Wednesday’s shoes.
“How the hell will she get out of this predicament?”
Then, you shoot up from bed as you watch Wednesday’s body fly out of a window, stunned as her body kisses the floor two stories below. Completely frozen in fear, you frantically ask, “Will she be okay?”
Cops pull up to the scene, providing you a modicum of comfort as their presence prevents the hyde from doing further damage. The camera focuses once more on Wednesday, her unconscious body being shaken by Thing. As the camera zooms out, you hear her arrogant and haunting voice.
“I’ve always dreamed of looking death in the face. But in my final moments, all I hear is my mother’s words ringing in my ears. Maybe I have made everything worse.”
Then the screen cuts to black and the credits start playing.
“What the hell? Where is the rest of the show?”
A quick Google search supplies that the release of Volume II will be in a month. A month.
“Why, oh why, is Netflix torturing me so?”
This isn’t the first time Netflix split a season release into volumes, and it won’t be the last.
“Bridgerton,” “Sandman,” “Ozark” and “Stranger Things” have all fallen prey to Netflix’s staggered release model, each of which are Netflix Originals that make frequent appearances on Netflix’s Top Ten TV Show Watch List. Coincidence? I think not.
More frustratingly, each of these shows was originally released as a bingeable series. The shift to volumes is relatively new and appears to be here to stay if Netflix’s announcement stating that Season 5 of “Stranger Things” is being released in three separate volumes is any indication.
There are theories on why Netflix has adopted this staggered release model: One contends that the model results from production-related delays, while another asserts that Netflix is adopting the model to prevent hemorrhaging of customers. Another theory is that they’re simply doing it to create more buzz.
I am inclined to believe that a desire to produce buzz is the primary culprit for the new model.
While series do experience production delays — perhaps best exemplified by the delays experienced during COVID-19 and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike with Season 4 of “Stranger Things” and Season 6 of “Cobra Kai” respectively — Netflix has continued to use the staggered release method for shows that started production after these monumental delays. This can be seen in the production of Season 5 of “Stranger Things,” as production of the season started Jan. 8, 2024 — two months after the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Netflix has also contended with customer churn, although major drop-offs of customers have not been reported to pose a serious problem since 2022. Additionally, while I do believe the staggered release model might increase retention rates as viewers are encouraged to stay a month or two longer to view the next volume release, I doubt the model makes a significant difference in this regard. Netflix allows subscribers to pause their membership at any time, so an individual could theoretically pause their membership after viewing Volume 1 of a series.
Most likely, the reason Netflix has continued to stagger season releases is to generate additional buzz. By releasing Season 2 of “Wednesday” in two volumes, Netflix was able to debut two trailers, have multiple articles written up detailing when Part 2 of the season would be released and lengthen the press tour as indicated by the YouTube videos released after the corresponding volume releases.
In addition, audiences may watch the entirety of a bingeable season in one or two sittings, creating a shorter buzz around the show. On the other hand, drawing out the season keeps people talking for longer, so the buzz stays alive.
Unfortunately for Netflix, volumes are not the way to go. It’s infuriating to only watch half of a season, be forced to wait and then watch the second half a month — or more — later. At that point, I’ve already forgotten key details.
What made Netflix stand apart was its catalog of original bingeable series, with shows like “Stranger Things” solidifying its position in the market. They beat out cable, but now, they’re slowly morphing back into the cable model with “Netflix with ads” and a staggered episodic release model.
I fear they’re going to realize that customer retention will be more easily obtained if they move to the week-by-week episodic model.
Even so, there are a few series of theirs that give me hope: “Ginny and Georgia,” “My Life with the Walter Boys” and “The Umbrella Academy.” These shows — which have charted on Netflix’s Top 10 and had season releases after COVID-19 and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA — have yet to fall prey to the staggered release format.
Hopefully, with enough discourse and dissent, Netflix may be swayed to stay true to its roots. Nonetheless, I doubt customer outrage will be enough if this format proves more profitable than their current binge format. Only time will tell if true season-bingeing, which originally put Netflix at the forefront of streaming platforms, will shift into a nostalgic memory of the past.
Gabriela Gomez is a biomedical sciences senior and opinion writer for The Battalion.
