The fourth season of the hit Netflix original seriesStranger Thingshas started tremendously well with the release of its first volume. This season, however, is the first time the Duffer Brothers have split the journey into two volumes, which prompted some to assume that more changes to the series release would arise heading into the final season.
Binge-watching has been a traditional activity for viewers when experiencing streaming content, but several popular shows have shifted to a weekly release model to keep investment high and in demand. Bingeing beloved shows such asStranger Thingshas its benefits by allowing audiences to burn through an entire season in a matter of days, but their overall relevance evaporates rapidly. The separate volumes have allowed the momentum of the fourth season to continue to surge, but there doesn’t appear to be a plan to move away from the binge-watching experience the series offers.
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Peter Friedlander, Netflix’s head of scripted series, addressed the path of consistency the series will follow while speaking with Variety. “For the fans of ‘Stranger Things,’ this is how they’ve been watching that show, and I think to change that on them would be disappointing,” expressed Friedlander. “To not give them exactly what they’ve been expecting — which is ‘Stranger Things’ is a seasonal experience, they go through that with them — I think that it would be an abrupt change for the member.“Stranger Thingshas been consistentwith the viewing experience it offers since its inaugural 2016 release.
The second volume for season four is fast-approaching, and it’ll be interesting to see how audiences engage with the story after a month of separation between the two volumes. It’s unclear if the fifth andfinal season ofStranger Thingswill follow a similar separate volume release pattern, but audiences can rest knowing they won’t have to wait an entire week to continue the chilling adventure through the Upside Down.
Stranger Thingsseason 4, volume 1, is currently available on Netflix.
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