Recent years have seen society arrive at the very precipice of a new world order, caught between warring traditions and newfound habits as an uncertain future looms. Naturally, I’m referring to the divisive approaches to television consumption that fight for dominance on our screens: the stream-enabled binge-watch, and the traditional weekly release. While many of us can remember the days of trawling over television guides and tussling for control of the remote during primetime viewing hours, it’s no secret that binge-viewing has assumed quiet supremacy in the public domain, implicitly shouldering the weekly release into extinction. Though perhaps we shouldn’t launch into requiem just yet; with streaming giants Disney+ and Apple TV dipping their toe into familiar weekly episode drops, are we seeing a resurgence of the reliable scheduled release? With both approaches still maintaining an active presence, it begs the question: what is the best way to watch? In defence of the bingers, there’s a lot to like. The binge-watching experience is easy, immersive, and immediately gratifying. Full-season drops puts the agency in the hands of the viewer, and offers one the flexibility to tune in at their own leisure. There are worse ways to spend an evening than storming through a series that’s got you hooked, and there’s certainly something to be said for the smug satisfaction of knowing that the resolution to that jaw-dropping cliff-hanger is just around the corner. Early bingers get the added bonus of avoiding any potential experienceruining spoilers, plus exclusive bragging rights to having already seen the hit new show that is clogging up your Twitter feed. On the contrary, the idea of weekly releases on paper is a difficult sell: Why have everything now, when you could wait for it? Regardless, there’s a quaint charm to the idea of one episode a week that elevates each installment into an ‘event’ sweetened by delayed gratification. A weekly release schedule also affords each episode- for better or for worse enough space to stand alone in its own right, further helping to segregate the medium of television from cinema at a time when the differences have become harder to spot. Furthermore, social media provides a larger platform than ever for collective ‘event viewing’ that can help a series gain traction over time, with weekly releases such as Wandavision and Mare of Easttown benefitting from considerable online hype week-to-week to secure them a place in the public consciousness for a prolonged period. With both approaches presenting a strong case, the verdict boils down to personal preference and often, the genre of show. Although the lazy comedy you watch while cooking might not have you on the edge of your seat for the next episode, delving into a good mystery series week-to-week can, with enough patience, enhance the viewing experience. As far as I am concerned, there is a future for both approaches, and a blissful harmony may yet be on the horizon. While binge-watching is almost certainly here to stay, there is room still for the traditional staggered releasealthough, if we are to leave television guides and remote-control-wrestling as relics of the past, I certainly won’t complain.
- Sadbh Boylan
