Roku is our favorite streaming system, with the most streaming app options, the simplest streaming platform interface and the best search. It also has a content-agnostic platform that doesn’t push any one media streaming service provider, like Amazon Prime Video or Apple, over another.
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Last week, I was able to sit down and watch one of the shows I’ve been waiting almost three years for: Netflix’s live-action adaption of the best-selling manga “One Piece.” There was so much press and anticipation for the second season that they even announced that they were already filming the third season.
On my second day of watching, I realized that I had already finished the show. I looked around for possible more episodes or even a teaser for the next season. My search went nowhere, and I had to sit with the bitter reality that I was going to have to wait another possible year or two for another eight episodes.
Major streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video are home to many people’s favorite shows, whether it be an original or existing series.
There has certainly been a rise in Netflix and Prime Video series, but with the abundance of multiple shows, there also came the price of shorter seasons and a longer wait time.
This causes frustration amongst many viewers since traditional television didn’t work this way. When shows aired on TV, there were certainly more than eight episodes per season, and you couldn’t binge it all in one weekend. What made shows special was that it was worked into your daily schedule, and you had something to look forward to.
Streaming services stripped shows of that special feeling and have left us with short seasons that feel like they could’ve been an email.
Shows like “One Piece” and “Invincible” are both based on comics and previously written material. “One Piece” has an anime adaptation as well, so it has two source materials to go off of.
Viewers who have already watched and/or read the source material often get worried that shows will cut out certain parts that are important simply because they don’t have time.
With the huge time gaps in between as well, viewers get frustrated,lose interest, and move onto better things.
It’s pretty obvious why streaming services limit shows to such short seasons. With the popularity of streaming movies and shows online, companies need to find a way to keep people hooked and subscribed.
With shorter seasons, companies can pump out more shows, encourage people to “binge watch” their favorites over and over while they wait for another season, or watch something else while they wait.
In this scheming cycle though, shows feel more like a cash grab than a genuine story being told. Yes, there’s good production design, and the lighting and quality look professional, but it doesn’t make up for the people’s wants and needs when it comes to their favorite shows.
As streaming services get bigger and become more popular, it’s maybe time to consider that viewers might want more than just eight episodes of a show they’ve been waiting a long time for.
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