Will Netflix Crash Once Stranger Things Is Over?
The streamer giant is at risk
The fourth season of Stranger Things is upon us, and the whole of the internet is ready to consume it as fast as possible. There will be binge parties, lots of memes, theories, and tons of complaints. They have split it into two volumes, and it has been announced there will be a season 5, but, yes, the end is almost here.
Eventually, it will all be done. Stranger Things will be yet another pop-culture product to be digested by our collective mind.
However, given that a couple of weeks ago it was announced that Netflix was losing subscribers, I do wonder what will happen once one of its most popular shows ends.
Should we even care about what Netflix does?
Sure, the streamer giant will keep producing content. They have several movies and TV shows lined up that, sure enough, will be successful to a point. Still, none of them will be as popular as Stranger Things.
And this is Netflix’s fault.
There have been a few shows that have reached their natural conclusion. However, it has become commonplace to joke about the fact they have a tendency to cancel beloved TV shows way too soon. Hello Sense8, The OA — I’m still not over that one, by the way —Anne with an E, Glow, One Day at a Time, and many, many, too many more.
I know, I know…showbusiness is a business. They need to make a profit. And yet, we saw how Netflix had no problem spending a lot of money on all sorts of shows and movies. Basically, they were throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck.
But they refused to play the long game.
Let me put this in context.
I loved watching The OA. Sure, there were plenty of crazy shenanigans going on, but we viewers couldn’t get enough of it, not to mention the fact there was a permanent discussion amongst fans to understand just what the heck it all meant. And now we’ll never know…
This same scenario has replayed with every weird, small show Netflix has canceled. Basically, these were niche shows but original enough to prompt interesting conversations whenever they released a new season.
They were not given room to grow, and Netflix will face the consequences.
What makes a good show.
A good show needs a good story, of course. It also requires characters that are relatable or, preferably, extremely interesting, even if it is because we hate them.
Above all, viewers need to develop an emotional connection to the show. They have to suffer with the characters and share their moments of joy. Just take a look at how Stranger Things fans enjoy every bit of it and how they treasure every gesture their favorite character makes. Not only that, but the show became a cultural phenomenon back when that was still possible, before streaming services became obsessed with “winning the war.”
Sure, Netflix has more series and movies coming, but none of them compares to what Stranger Things represents for the streaming giant.
Three years after Game of Thrones ended, Stranger Things remains the closest thing to the level of collective obsession the fantasy show commanded. It will be challenging for any other show to reach that status ever again.
Netflix will survive, but…
I don’t think Netflix will die any time soon. It does have lots of good content that appeals to different niches.
But it will not achieve world domination. In fact, no streamer platform will. With so many series and movies at our disposal, it’s hard to feel a sense of urgency to watch them. Not only that, but paying for different platforms adds up.
All of these platforms have diluted their presence, with too much content spread all over the internet. Worst of all, people are starting to experience streaming fatigue.
We’ll have to sit and wait for how the next stage of the streaming wars plays out. Maybe alliances will be the only way in which all of these platforms will survive. Perhaps seemingly small shows with original storytelling are the key — e.g., Squid Game.
Stranger things have happened…
Originally published on Quora.
