Netflix Has 1 More Chance To Redeem Its Stranger Things Replacement

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Despite a rocky rollout of season 2 for the hit show Wednesday, Netflix still has a chance to find its next big fantasy series to fill the void left by Stranger Things. Netflix has been looking for a show to match Stranger Things‘ success for nearly a decade, ever since that series unexpectedly became a phenomenon in 2016.

Now that Stranger Things is over, Netflix is really feeling the pressure to find its next big hit, and that search isn’t likely to stop soon. While their new show, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, is made by the creators of Stranger Things (the Duffer Brothers), it’s clear this series won’t be the next cultural phenomenon like Stranger Things was.

I just finished watching Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, and it’s definitely a dark and twisty psychological thriller. But if Netflix is hoping to find something to fill the massive void left by their biggest hit, they need to think differently. What they really need is something the whole family can enjoy – maybe a show with a bit of fantasy or mystery, and a cast of up-and-coming young stars. Honestly, something like Tim Burton’s Wednesday would be perfect!

Netflix Mishandled Wednesday Season 2

Despite a large marketing push and significant investment, Netflix seems to have unintentionally hindered Wednesday from reaching the same level of success as Stranger Things. While Wednesday was a major release for the streaming service, certain choices may have prevented it from becoming a truly massive hit.

As ScreenRant noted when the second season premiered, a lot of hype doesn’t always mean a show will be widely watched. While the first part of Wednesday season 2 quickly became the streaming service’s most popular show in August 2025, the second part didn’t perform as well.

As a big fan of Wednesday, I was a little surprised to see the numbers for the second part of season 2 weren’t as strong as the first. Netflix reported over 50 million people tuned in for the initial release of part 1, but only around 28.2 million watched part 2 in its first week – that’s a pretty significant drop of about 43%!

Despite remaining popular overall, with the second part of Season 2 debuting at number one and Season 3 already confirmed, Wednesday‘s performance suffered because Netflix split the season into two volumes. While the show is still a success for Netflix, releasing Season 2 in two parts clearly impacted its viewership.

Compared to its first season, Wednesday season 2 didn’t attract nearly as many viewers when it was released. Season 1 quickly became one of the streaming service’s biggest hits ever. It’s unclear if releasing season 2 in two parts affected its performance, but it’s possible that it did.

Wednesday Season 3 Shouldn’t Be Split Into Two Parts

I’ve noticed that splitting seasons into parts actually helped shows like Stranger Things do even better! But Stranger Things was a bit different – it had a different audience than some newer shows. Plus, the wait between the first two seasons wasn’t very long. They didn’t really start releasing seasons in multiple volumes until the fourth season, so it’s a more recent trend.

After a three-year delay and the announcement that season two of Wednesday would be released in two parts, excitement from fans began to turn negative. It’s difficult for any show to be on hiatus for so long, and the initial response to the promotion for Euphoria season three showed that audiences don’t like waiting.

Splitting a highly anticipated show into multiple release parts is always risky, and even frustrated some fans of Stranger Things when the final season was divided between November and December 2025. Because Wednesday is a newer show, it didn’t have the same established fanbase to cushion the impact of this kind of marketing strategy.

Netflix Has A Problem With New Seasons Of Their Flagship Shows

The recent performance of Wednesday should worry Netflix, as the company has faced this issue before. They often launch a show with a strong first season, but then marketing and production for subsequent seasons stall.

When shows take long breaks between seasons, their return doesn’t generate as much excitement. We’re seeing this with Squid Game, where the three-year wait between seasons 1 and 2 turned some viewers off, even though everyone loved the first season.

When the third season of Wednesday finally arrives, fans will have waited a considerable time for new episodes. Instead of frustrating viewers with a release spread out over multiple parts, the streaming service would be better off releasing the whole season at once to regain their interest.

If Wednesday continues to attract a large audience, future seasons might be released in parts. However, the show’s current release strategy could hinder its chances of becoming as popular as Stranger Things unless Netflix makes some changes.

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2026-03-03 23:49