Netflix Original shows are very popular with viewers around the world. Recently Netflix has been releasing new seasons of their original series in two separate parts. Viewers are having to wait at least a month for the second half of a season to be released.
Shows like Cobra Kai, Bridgerton, Stranger Things, Emily in Paris and Outer Banks have all released what is known as split seasons.
For example, the first part of Cobra Kai’s season six was released on Jul. 18, 2024, but the second part isn’t set to come out until Nov. 15, 2024. This means that viewers have to wait four months for the second half of the final season.
Netflix has received a lot of backlash and many people online have had things to say about this. Students from Aliso Niguel High School share their own opinions on this controversy.
Ava Menhaji (11) says, “I kind of like the idea because you have something to look forward to for the next month. Sometimes when you get really attached to a show, you want to binge-watch it, so you have nothing else to watch after you finish that show in a few days.”
Netflix works long and hard to release new seasons, but viewers watch the season in the span of a couple of days and immediately put pressure on them to release the next season. The split seasons are meant to spread out the series for a longer period of time. It also gives Netflix a little bit of a break before they start working on the next season.
Splitting the seasons into two parts is a newer thing that Netflix started implementing in 2022 when the fourth season of Stranger Things came out in two parts.
Andreanna Javing (12) says, “I understand why Netflix splits the release of their seasons, but I don’t like it. I just want to be able to have the entire season available to me so I can watch it at my own pace.”
The most recent show to have a split season is Outer Banks. They released the first five episodes of season four on Oct. 10 and the final five episodes are coming out on Nov. 7.
No one is sure why Netflix started splitting seasons into two parts, but many assume it is a marketing tactic. Netflix is a monthly subscription, so when the release of a series spans over a month long, then viewers have to pay for their subscription for longer than a month.
Lexie Weaver (12) shares, “It’s really annoying and I don’t like that I have to wait so long between each season. Now I have to wait even longer to get through the second half of a season. I just want to be able to binge the new season all at once.”
Students at Aliso Niguel have mixed feelings about Netflix having split seasons. Some don’t like it at all, and some are more understanding.
Many people want Netflix to release the entirety of a new season, but it doesn’t seem likely that it is going to happen anytime soon.
