Mandalorian Season 2 is released weekly — and every streaming show should

Mandalorian Season 2 is released weekly — and every streaming show should

At the risk of sounding contrary, I'm glad "The Mandalorian" Season 2 won't be released all at once. For those who may not know, the second episode of "The Mandalorian" will be released weekly on Disney Plus, just like traditional television.

So I have a message for those of you who used to watch Season 1 after it was released episode by episode and were surprised that this happened this year, or for baby Yoda fans who were hoping Disney would let them eat the whole bag of candy at once.

We made it easy for people to find that information in our Mandalorian Season 2 Episode Release Guide. But what about those who are grumpy about having to wait for Disney? There are three reasons for this.

The coronavirus pandemic not only uprooted our lives, it shut down production of TV shows and movies around the world. This included binge-worthy shows like "Stranger Things" Season 4 and "The Witcher" Season 2, and even the release date of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" was seemingly erased during the start of the pandemic.

This means that eventually the pacing of new shows will begin to slow down, which may not be a big deal for those who have finished watching a large number of Netflix's best shows (I haven't seen Sherlock yet), but for those who have, it's like a never-ending stream of shows. Imagine what happens when the seeming faucet runs dry.

Instead, "The Mandalorian" Season 2 will run for eight weeks, culminating on December 18. I don't want to sound like a parent telling you to stop eating fast, but ...... I don't think rationing new shows is a terrible idea.

My apologies to those who live in binge-eating mode. I have only ever enjoyed watching shows under odd circumstances, such as on airplanes or when I am sick. [When a live event, especially WWE's Monday Night Raw, lasts until the third hour, I get a mental block. But the fact that the series is released all at once means that you can consume episodes in the same week and have a great conversation together.

If you've never tired of "catching up" with friends about a just-released TV show, you'd be surprised at how annoying and a chore it can be.

I often wish I had watched HBO's Watchmen once a week when it was usually released. The buzz wasn't strong enough to pull me into its orbit until late in the season, so I spent days pounding through the entire run to see the finale live.

And I don't think it helped me enjoy it. The same thing happened with "Lovecraft Country," but that show was more complex and required breaks in the episodes to process events and character development.

There are rare exceptions, though. Tiger King? It's made to eat the entire sleeve of Pringles or Oreos. But the more I think about the best show I've seen, the more I'm glad I didn't instantly say "hello" or "goodbye" to the characters.

That said, my opinion won't change the way companies do business. Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Apple TV Plus are set on a weekly process, although some are releasing multiple episodes at the beginning of each season.

But Netflix's best shows, as well as Hulu's and Peacock's, all come out in one big release. While these three companies are unlikely to change their ways for fear of offending viewers, I can see why Disney Plus would not. Why on earth would anyone want to see Baby Yoda all in one big release?

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