“Fandom culture” itself is a vague concept that fans look at and utilize differently. When it comes to the online space of a fandom, usually your experience revolves around one or two social media platforms (for some, it’s all of the social media platforms, but no judgment here…). You start following the actors who play on the show, then some fan accounts, and before you know it, every single “Explore” page is dedicated solely to this one show you have become hyper-fixated on.
Via Unsplash+ Glenn Carstens-Peters
If you enjoy finding new fandoms, then you understand how important those initial steps are. It’s exhilarating to discover more and more about a piece of media you wholeheartedly love, and it’s even more enjoyable to get to know other people who share the same passion as you do.
However, in recent years, something about this universal fandom experience has shifted. Major streaming platforms started releasing shows all at once to encourage binge-watching and gave up on the week-to-week release strategy. Since then, fandom culture has changed. When fandoms are created, time is of the essence, in more ways than one, and binge-watching has become a problem in almost every way.
So what are the biggest differences between fandoms of shows with week-to-week release, and those of shows that are released all at once? Why do those differences make all the difference?
The main issue with shows that rely on binge-watching, is that the viewer experience gets all twisted, especially timing-wise. Netflix is a streaming platform best known for releasing seasons of new shows all at once and one that comes to mind that was crafted under these conditions was Stranger Things.
Via ScreenRant
Stranger Things is one of the most-watched shows on Netflix, and it has been so since the first season was released in 2016. It has four seasons so far, while the fifth and last season is set to premiere later this year. The show is well-beloved and extremely popular, which naturally means it has a devoted audience and an even more devoted fandom.
However, in true Netflix fashion, every season (except for season four, but we’ll get to that later), has been released all at once. All episodes go out to the public on the same day, allowing people to watch it however and whenever they please. To prolong the watching experience, some people try to pace themselves and only watch an episode a day. But for devoted fans (who call themselves “Strangers”), that is not so easy. Usually, fans prefer to binge-watch the new episodes as fast as humanly possible before going online to talk about their thoughts on the season. They do it mostly so they won’t get spoiled, and also to not miss out on the much-anticipated online experience that follows the release. This leads the fandom to quickly jolt to life with exciting discourse, at least for a few weeks. Debating plotlines, creating fan edits, reading fanfiction, watching interviews, and of course, speculating and theorizing about what will happen next. But soon enough, there is no more new content to consume, nothing more to talk about, and the fandom goes back into hibernation for however many years it may take for the next season to arrive.
“Strangers” only get a couple of months every two years in which they get to enjoy the real experience of fandom. Sure, some highly committed fans remain faithful, and keep posting nonsense to deal with the drought, but there is only so much they can do before they too get bored.
Back when shows had 20+ episodes per season, weekly releases, and just a few months between each season, fans never even got a chance to take a short nap, let alone hibernate. There was always something new to talk about. New episodes, promos, behind-the-scenes, sneak peeks, and so much more. Being a fan of a show was an integral part of who you were because you never stopped consuming its content. The connection that was formed between fans watching new episodes every week was crucial for the fandom as a whole. Without it, the whole experience has become bleak.
It’s also important to note that with the attention span we have these days, and the never-ending stream of content we get, the audience’s attention can only be devoted to what is right in front of them. As beloved as a show may be, once it is off the air for years at a time and only comes back for a day or two of binging, it is quickly forgotten and drowned. Fandoms get tired of carrying the weight of their show without the security of a regular release schedule, so they end up disappearing, and not putting in the work to keep the fandom, or even the show, alive. They simply get tired of going in circles around the same old content, discussing stale plotlines, or even coming up with new ideas for fanfiction.
Luckily, some streaming services have already picked up on the huge difference it makes to release a show weekly, and have reverted back to the good old days. Disney+ has been doing so since the platform started releasing original shows, and Apple TV+ is currently doing so with the highly acclaimed new season of Severance. They understand that this strategy allows fans to truly invest themselves in the watching experience, which hopefully means they will be sticking around. They share theories and fan videos while they wait for a new episode to come out every week, providing the fandom with the perfect space to grow and bond.
Via Apple TV+
Even Netflix, which as mentioned earlier is known for celebrating binge-watching, has started releasing extremely popular shows in two parts—a strategy they used for the fourth season of Stranger Things, when they released the season in two “volumes” with a month-long wait between them. This was also done with the third season of Bridgerton and even with Squid Game. This strategy, even if it’s still not perfect, at least allows fans to bond over the new content, while still maintaining the anticipation for what’s to come shortly after.
If you enjoy participating in fandom culture, like I proudly do, there is still a bright side. With all the endless content we are given every day, you will constantly be able to find a TV show that provides a fandom with everything it needs, including week-to-week releases. I recently found this type of excitement alive and well when I discovered 9-1-1 on ABC, a show that is currently on its 8th season, with 18 episodes that air weekly. I was delighted to know this type of show release is not going anywhere.
These shows and fandoms are still out there, we just have to look a little harder to find them. And while we do, let us hope more streaming services will come around and bring us back to the glory days of fandom culture.