I Want To Be Excited About Bridgerton Season 4 And Stranger Things Season 5, But Netflix Makes It Hard

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Netflix has a lot of exciting new shows and movies planned for 2025 that should please a wide range of viewers. While their recommendation system isn’t perfect, it’s good at finding content that appeals to different tastes. And with new releases coming out regularly, there’s always something fresh to watch. I’m especially looking forward to the next seasons of Bridgerton and Stranger Things, but it’s tough to pick just a few!

Even though I’ve enjoyed all of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books and was looking forward to the story about Sophie and Benedict, and I know the Stranger Things cast was very emotional about finishing the show, I’m just not feeling excited about either one right now. It’s not the actors, the plots, or the shows themselves – it’s the way Netflix is releasing content that’s the problem.

Bridgerton And Stranger Things Will Suffer From The Netflix Split

For years, viewers debated whether it was better to watch a whole season of a show all at once or one episode per week. Netflix always favored releasing everything at once, but lately, they’ve started a release strategy that I find annoying. Instead of releasing all episodes at once or spreading them out weekly, they now release a group of episodes, pause, and then release another group. Sometimes they even split a season into two or three parts.

I didn’t like how Bridgerton Season 3 was released in two parts. While I’m generally okay with binge-watching, this split release didn’t work for me at all.

Look, as a viewer, I’m getting seriously frustrated. It’s a pain trying to figure out when new episodes are even coming out, but honestly, the long and unpredictable waits between episodes? That’s even worse. And those are just the tip of the iceberg, folks – there are other issues brewing too.

I think the main problem with how Netflix releases shows is that they’re designed for binge-watching, unlike traditional TV. Network shows usually have clear endings to each episode or a big cliffhanger, but Netflix shows don’t necessarily do that. When Netflix splits a show into parts, it often doesn’t break at a logical moment because the creators originally wrote it to be watched all at once.

Besides being a clear strategy to hold onto subscribers, I find the split seasons on Netflix frustrating. They usually only have six to eight episodes to begin with, and dividing that in half means you get just three or four episodes at a time, with a month-long wait for the rest. If Netflix wants us to binge-watch, I’d rather have a full season released at once. Ideally, they’d consistently release episodes over several weeks, and I’ll explain why shortly.

The fifth season of Stranger Things will be released in three parts, starting November 26th, with the second part arriving on December 25th, and the final part on December 31st. The first half of Bridgerton Season 4 will premiere on January 29th, followed by the second half on February 26th. It’s a bit odd the second part isn’t scheduled for Valentine’s Day weekend, but that’s beside the point.

I Actually Want Slow Roll Releases, And I Find Netflix’s Strategy Wonting

Traditional TV excels at creating shared cultural experiences – those shows everyone talks about the next day. Netflix has shaken things up, especially with how shows are made and watched. They’ve moved away from traditional pilots and often cancel shows after just one season, and they’ve changed how we experience commercials. Netflix also lets you watch entire seasons at once, which isn’t always a good thing. Many excellent shows don’t gain an audience because they don’t have the time traditional TV shows have to build awareness and attract viewers.

These days, it feels like a show needs to be in Netflix’s Top 10 to get noticed. But even making the Top 10 isn’t a guarantee – Netflix can still cancel a show if it doesn’t hold viewers’ attention for a significant amount of time.

It seems like Netflix would benefit from everyone being up-to-date on their shows. The issue with releasing entire seasons at once is that it’s hard to discuss details with friends or family because you can’t be sure they’ve seen the same episodes or are even watching the same season.

I think Amazon’s approach is much better. They release a few episodes of a show like Reacher to grab viewers’ attention, then release new episodes weekly. They can repeat this strategy with other popular shows. Those who prefer to binge-watch can still do so later, but a really popular show will keep people tuning in each week. Netflix could potentially use binge-watching for new shows that aren’t guaranteed hits, or for shorter series like documentaries.

Netflix, I understand you want people to watch shows all at once. I’m not saying stop that! I just wish I could find out if my sister has seen the latest episode of Bridgerton – like, if she watched it Friday night – so we can discuss it before starting the next episode. Is it really too much to ask?

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2025-11-15 16:39