Stranger Things Season 5's Release Strategy Leaves Fans Baffled, Questioning Why Netflix Fails to Simplify Schedule
Netflix's TRASHY TUDUM EVENT (yeah, we covered it via our damn blog) saw some updates for its original content, including the second season of Wednesday and the next Knives Out sequel. But the biggest damn brouhaha was the release dates for the long-awaited, goddamn Stranger Things season 5. I gotta admit it's a relief to have some info, but I can't fathom why Netflix chose a freakin' convoluted holiday schedule instead of the traditional drop.
Let's dive into why this approach seems strange AF, especially during the holiday season. But first...
When the Hell Will Stranger Things Season 5 hit the Damn Tube?
A newly unveiled Stranger Things video at Tudum gave a glimpse of when folks can once again join the Byers and all those damn Hawkins dwellers. Unlike past summers or Halloween vibes, Netflix is going all in with an end-of-year holiday push, with the dates as follows:
- Volume One: November 26
- Volume Two: Christmas Day
- Series Finale: New Year's Eve
If the season actually does tap into Thanksgiving and Christmas-related stuff, the overall timing makes decent enough sense. But once you get past that, it's just a damned mess.
I'm Here for Netflix Ditching its Binge-Happy Release Model
I get that binge-ready plans are loved by a bazillion Netflix subscribers, so I won't be popular for saying this. But shows that drop on a weekly basis usually encourage more damn conversation, both online and irl.
If Stranger Things season 5 had been stretched over two full months, with each of its eight episodes going live weekly, the damn viewership would start off big and likely get bigger as the hype builds. But let me tell ya, I'm more perplexed than anything by what Netflix went with instead.
However, Netflix's Holiday-Set Plan for Stranger Things Season 5 Just Feels Damn Rushed
Look, I know Netflix ain't in charge of when Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve falls. It's not like they can bend time or move the damn new year back. But they could've picked a finale date that wasn't New Year's Eve when millions of people are celebrating.
I get that using the holidays makes it easier for school-bound viewers to watch without any damn worries. And it might allow for more family-oriented viewings during get-togethers. But making fans wait a full month between new episodes, only to then go weekly, seems like a dumb-ass move, especially if each ep is gonna be feature-length.
They coulda damn easily achieved the same damn theoretical goals by releasing single eps weekly starting on November 19 (not too far ahead of Thanksgiving). It'd still've been able to wrap up on New Year's Eve without fuss.
Also, I'm Not a Big Fan of the Damned Evening P.M. Releases Instead of the Usual Overnight Drops
Even if I was cool with the stupid placement of the staggered release dates, the specific time for the new eps dropping still gives me shock Therapy. While Netflix has stuck to its damn Midnight PST releases (with East Coast fans staying up til 3 f*in' a.m. to watch), the new Stranger Things eps will drop at 5 damn p.m. PST. That's more in line with prime-time TV, but if the higher-ups gonna stick with this release model for most of their damn shows, I wouldn't complain too much. Plus, it'd line up with Netflix's live events and specials that are also set for regular hours.
But if Stranger Things' final season is just going to be the exception to the over-night release norm, without plans to use this approach for any other future releases, then I can't fully grasp why they'd choose this moment to flip the script.
Netflix's Fuckery in Handling Stranger Things Releases
Other streaming services like Amazon, Disney+, and Apple TV+ have found a damn good balance between which shows get the binge-friendly drop and which one's are more suitable for a damn weekly release. I can't imagine a show like Severance releasing all episodes at once. But Netflix's execs can't seem to follow the same frickin' patterns. Instead, they seem to favor some damn arbitrary decision like releasing 3 or 4 eps at a time a month apart.
No matter my damn complaints, I'll still catch the final season of Stranger Things when the first episodes drop on November 26.
- Instead of the traditional overnight drops, Netflix has chosen to release new episodes of 'Stranger Things' season 5 at an evening PM time, which could indicate a shift in their release models.
- The convoluted holiday schedule for 'Stranger Things' season 5, with Volume One on November 26, Volume Two on Christmas Day, and the series finale on New Year's Eve, makes for a unique watching experience but introduces some challenges, such as a significant wait between new episodes.
