Thanks to streaming services releasing shows on different schedules, deciding when and how to watch has become a challenge in its own right.
Some people like to follow a show as it airs so they can join weekly discussions online or with friends, while others prefer to wait for a few episodes or the whole season to come out. I’ve tried every approach, so here’s my ultimate list of the best ways to stream.
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Weekly Drops
Weekly episodes are the most traditional way people have historically watched TV shows in the past, as airing one new episode per week was the standard. This allowed networks to fill out their prime time with their best shows to maximize viewership and sell pricey ad spots during those slots.
Interestingly, some streaming services use this strategy to keep users subscribed to their platform for the longest time possible. Worst-case scenario is that people excited to start watching a hot new show will subscribe for a couple of months, but there’s a chance they end up hanging around for longer as they start watching other shows while waiting for their weekly drop.
This actually makes for a decent way to watch content if you only have one show at a time that you’re particularly excited about, but are also interested in discovering new shows.
For instance, if you’ve recently subscribed to Paramount+ to watch Dexter: Resurrection, you might as well watch Dexter: Original Sin while waiting for the weekly drops. Since Original Sin is relatively short, there’s a good chance you’ll finish it as well, so you’ll start looking into other similar shows and land on Happy Face or Mayor of Kingstown.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
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3
Dexter: Resurrection follows Dexter Morgan as he awakens from a coma to discover his son, Harrison, missing. His search leads him to New York City, where he confronts his past and the challenges posed by Miami Metro’s Angel Batista, as father and son face their shared darkness.
Still, the biggest benefit of watching a show as it releases on a weekly schedule is that you can share your opinions with friends, participate in online discussions on Reddit and other sites, and watch YouTube fan theories. Each new episode adds several additional hours of joy and entertainment. Even if none of the theories turn out to be true, it’s fun to explore all the different directions the writers could take.
Using the same example of Dexter: Resurrection, I’ve been watching the show with my wife, and we love discussing our thoughts and opinions after each episode throughout the week, as well as watching YouTube theories and breakdowns. Questions that still require answers, such as what Prater will do if he finds out, who the New York ripper is, and what Batista’s fate will be, all make for engaging topics of discussion.
Unfortunately, if you’re the type who likes to binge shows or only has enough time to watch over the weekend and wants to make the most of your limited free time, weekly drops may feel unsatisfying. They rarely deliver the quantity of entertainment you’re looking for, and they’re not ideal if you struggle with cliffhanger endings. You’ll be left hungry for more.
On the flip side, having a limited number of episodes available makes it easier to pace yourself, which can help prevent burnout.
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Watching in Batches or Split Seasons
Netflix sometimes drops its most popular shows as split seasons or even creates two separate seasons for something that was originally designed to be a single season. This happened with Squid Game seasons 2 and 3, which were released roughly six months apart.
Batch releases of only a few episodes, rather than a full split season, are far less common but still happen. It’s especially popular at the start of a season, such as with Amazon Prime’s The Boys, which drops three episodes at launch, followed by weekly releases.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month
- Simultaneous streams
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3
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
Whether it’s a weekly schedule or a batch drop, you can still choose to watch shows in batches by letting episodes accumulate. For instance, you could plan ahead and subscribe to a service for a month so your subscription ends around the same time the show does.
That way, you can watch a batch of 3–5 episodes when you first subscribe, switch to something else, then come back and repeat the process until the finale is out, and finish the last batch.
This approach is something between a full-on season binge and watching one episode per week. It’s ideal if single-episode viewing leaves you wanting more, or if you have an irregular schedule, since you can watch several episodes at a time without the risk of burnout that can come with a full binge.
Another benefit of this method is that you don’t necessarily have to stop watching when an episode ends on a cliffhanger. You can simply roll into the next one to see what happens, then pause somewhere in the middle once the tension has subsided.
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Full Seasons
Another common way to stream shows is to watch complete seasons as they drop. This is the quintessential streaming experience popularized by Netflix.
You get all the benefits of batch releases, as it allows you to watch as many episodes as you like in a single sitting and pause wherever you wish. Depending on the show, the season might follow a particular theme or have a plot gimmick that the season revolves around, which makes for a well-rounded viewing experience.
It also means you only need to subscribe for a month if all you want is to watch the new season of a particular show.
This approach works particularly well with anthology series that have self-contained seasonal stories, like Fargo and The White Lotus, as they have no seasonal cliffhanger endings. Episodic anthologies like Black Mirror also typically get full-season releases, but those aren’t the focus here, as they are more akin to short films.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $10/month
- Live TV
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Yes, various plans available
Fargo is a Black Comedy Crime Drama television series that is based on the film of the same name, which was originally created by the Coen Brothers. The TV adaptation was developed by Noah Hawley and follows an anthology format for each of its seasons, taking place in a different time period or location within the “Fargo” universe. So far, the series has seen big-name stars like Billy Bob Thornton, Ewan McGregor, Chris Rock, and Kirsten Dunst.
Full-season releases are where true binge-watching begins. If you like to sit down and “speedrun” a show over one or two days, this is for you.
While marathons may not be enjoyable for everyone and can lead to burnout, they let you experience the full seasonal story arc in a short time, giving instant gratification and a potentially stronger emotional impact. You’re also unlikely to encounter spoilers, since you’ll be among the first to finish the season.
However, binge-watching does have some downsides, such as reduced excitement over the show and poorer memory retention. I experienced this firsthand during my first and only marathon when The Witcher season 1 dropped. I can hardly remember what happened over the whole season, and I never picked the show back up afterward, as I felt drained.
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Watch It All When It’s Done
For those of us who can’t bear waiting for new seasons to release, the best way to watch a TV show is to wait until it’s completely finished. While this approach requires patience upfront, it gives you the most control over your viewing experience.
For starters, it offers many of the same benefits as other streaming approaches. Whether you prefer watching an episode a week, a few episodes at a time, binging through entire seasons, or a mix of all methods, you can do it all with a finished show.
I typically watch one episode a day but tend to switch to batches when I’m nearing the end of a season. I also account for massive season cliffhangers and end my sessions with the first episode of the new season.
Moreover, this approach allows you to focus only on the best shows, avoiding series that decline as they progress. That’s part of the reason I never watched The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones, instead opting for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul due to their consistently high episode ratings. It also allows you to avoid canceled shows or at least be aware of their cancellation before committing.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, $8/month
- Simultaneous streams
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Two or four
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
This approach isn’t without its flaws, though. A major downside is that you can’t participate in the initial hype and discussion surrounding a new show or season and will instead have to opt for watching older videos and reading old discussion threads.
This makes avoiding spoilers rather challenging, though. That said, you won’t suffer from this downside as much if you start watching a show that has just finished or choose to watch alongside someone.
Another downside is that you’ll have to wait years before the show is finished. This is fine if you don’t mind watching older shows like I do, but if you prefer modern releases and only watch well-rated shows, your choice will be somewhat limited. At least many of the best TV shows, like The Wire, Chernobyl, and The Sopranos, have all finished airing years ago.
I highly value the ability to control how many episodes I watch at a time, which is why the more episodes a show has available, the better.
That’s why watching completed shows is the ultimate way to stream. You can watch as much or as little as you like, without worrying about cancellations or a decline in quality as the seasons progress.
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