Before Netflix and other streaming services started releasing entire seasons of a series like “House of Cards” or “The Summer I turned Pretty,” everyone had to wait a week to find out what happened next in their TV series–a wait that was especially intense if the episode left off on a huge cliffhanger or a huge secret was revealed. However, after streaming services became more popular the model switched from weekly releases to an all-at-once model.

Like anyone who grew up watching TV, I remember counting the days until the next episode of my favorite TV series, with reruns of the previous episodes throughout the week. While a lot of my favorite TV shows premiered or ended years before my cousins or I were born, we were still excited and impatient waiting for the next episode to watch and wanting to know what happened next.

An entire season at once made sense for an on-demand service, and was all but the standard for releases during COVID-19 when we were all stuck at home. As such, many newer series started to switch to Netflix’s “All-at-once” model, which seemed to have good results.

While most people prefer this as they can binge the whole series in a sitting, that same reason is partly why I prefer the weekly release model. I personally can and have binged many different TV series before, but what makes me dislike it is that it takes away from our participation in the story, especially the dramatic and impactful parts.

I do like to occasionally binge watch a TV series from time to time, but mostly ones I have seen a million times. Because I have seen the show before, I already know where the cliffhangers are supposed to be compared to a brand new series, and the build-up to where the major drama for that season or cliffhanger feels less impactful.

Another reason that weekly releases are a good thing for streamed shows is that it creates a moment of connection and quality time with others, whether that be with friends or family. For example, back in 2017, I remember both my mother and grandmother would wait every week for the next episode to release of season seven of “Game of Thrones” as this was a show they would talk about after they had each seen the episode, especially since they had both read the books that the show is based on.

Not only were my mom and grandma excited, but many people were creating watch parties for the finale of season seven, as it was known as the season of Fire and Ice to everyone who watched it. While “Game of Thrones” is not the only series to inspire its watchers to create watch parties for the season finale, this was a more prevalent example.

Disney+ added a watch party feature, which many took advantage of as it provided them with another way to enjoy content more socially. Another way people did this was through an extension that allowed for watch parties on Discord as well. This created ways for people to connect over a movie or show again, despite being in different households. Now, while we are a few years out of lockdown and quarantine, this shows how connection is a huge part of how people choose to watch movies and TV series alike.

That being said, Netflix has come up with a new model for how they release episodes. This new model is mostly seen with “Stranger Things” and “Bridgerton,” where the season is broken up into three parts, and each episode in parts one through three is released weekly.

Lastly, as we have seen over the years, many people have reverted to how we used to consume our entertainment, and as a result, we have seen streaming services other than Netflix return to this, as HBO Max did with their latest show, “The Pitt”. The show started with a weekly episode release schedule and has continued to do so, which I personally prefer. Though my grandma would rather have all the episodes out so we can sit and binge watch it all, as we tend to do with many other shows.

I personally prefer a weekly episode release schedule compared to an “all at once” schedule. This is mostly because I grew up always waiting for the next episode to air on TV, but also because I am a story person, which means that a show can be great, but if the pacing is too fast or slow and it messes with the story, that can make or break the show for me.

So the next time a new series releases, whether it be weekly or “all at once”, I hope you find a way to enjoy it either by yourself or by having a watch party with your friends and family.