With the release of stranger things 4Netflix was gift-wrapped, a perfect opportunity to jump into weekly releases, minus the appearance that the likes of Disney+ had them “blinking.”
But Netflix instead Netflixed and dropped the first seven episodes (of nine) on May 27, suggesting that nothing may ever compel the streaming giant to consider weekly rollouts.
The arrival of stranger things 4 could have been a perfect test case – or heck, even a fun “one-off” – for releasing weekly episodes. Because in addition to the fact that it delivered the first new episodes of the supernatural thriller in almost three years (!), the “weight” of the season itself almost demanded a specialized showcase.
What do we mean by weight? Well, only twice before I’ve had a stranger things the episode exceeded 60 minutes – with the finales of seasons 2 and 3. But among the first seven episodes of season 4, the shortest installment is 63 minutes, the average is 77 minutes, and episode 7 lasts one hour and 38 minutes.
But wait, there’s (a lot) more. The final two episodes of this season, airing on Friday, July 1, are 85 minutes long and… two hours and 30 minutes. That means yes, the Season 4 finale is significantly longer than either. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Where Top Gun: Maverickwhich are real theatrical releases.
Given the XL and intense nature of each episode in Season 4, as well as what lies ahead, no one would have batted an eyelid had Netflix chosen to deviate from its binge-drop norm, releasing episodes every week and turn on the public relations machine. brag stranger things 4 like a “very special presentation/experience” or something like that. (There would also have been no five-week wait for Episodes 8/9.)
In turn, stranger things would/could have benefited from continued weekly discussion online, instead of the “reverse hockey stick” engagement his series typically garners – i.e. significant buzz around the weekend of output, which then decreases rapidly.
Plus, for those not able or inclined to binge nine hours of a horror thriller ASAP, the weekly releases could have greatly avoided the possibility of accidentally getting spoiled for later episodes.
Remember, Netflix wasn’t chained to binge releases. stranger things 4 itself, for reasons, was split into two lots, as were the farewell races for ozark and Grace and Frankie. And most of its reality TV offerings release a few episodes at a time, over several weeks. But no live-action scripted Netflix Original has managed to mimic the weekly lineup of peers such as Disney+ (which enjoys constant buzz/speculation/editorial coverage for its Marvel and star wars series), HBO Max (where the likes of hacks and The stewardess buzz of regularly amassed rewards) and (in some cases) Prime Video.
But if Netflix hasn’t tried weekly releases with a project as high-profile as stranger things 4 – where again, due to various factors, no one would have questioned the switch – will it ever?
What do you think: Is stranger things 4 benefited in multiple ways from the weekly outings? If you have already consumed it, would you have preferred that the intense episodes of more than one hour were “spread out”?