American Horror Story Season 12 Continues Annoying 2023 TV Trend
By releasing split seasons, streaming platforms are playing with fire.
Earlier this week, FX announced that the new season of American Horror Story: Delicate will be released in two parts. Part one will air on 20 September and be available on Hulu by 21 September. The premiere dates for the second instalment have yet to be announced. However, with the ongoing Hollywood strikes, there's no guarantee that we'll see the conclusion of Ryan Murphy's latest story anytime soon.
Understandably, fans are none too pleased with this development.
'I hate the whole part 1 part 2 thing. It's so unnecessary,' a fan wrote on Reddit. 'It's just like… cmon release the whole season. [...] It's just annoying.'
Delicate's production was reportedly disrupted by the writers' and actors' strikes. So, FX bosses made the bold decision to release what they have so far and finish the second half later. But for many viewers, the two-part release feels more like a growing trend than an exception.
It was Netflix that began the irritating trend of dividing new seasons of their most popular shows into two parts. That fate befell Stranger Things, The Witcher, You and others. What irks fans even more is seeing other streaming platforms jump on the bandwagon of these questionable release tactics.
Starz not only divided Season 7 of Outlander into two parts but also extended the midseason break, with the second part now set to premier only in 2024. Amazon plans to split Invincible Season 2. HBO is reportedly doing the same with the next instalment of The Last of Us. It's also rumoured that Disney's Daredevil: Born Again will also be released in portions. These are just a few examples of shows succumbing to this troubling pattern.
Clearly, this strategy is about maximising profits. By releasing popular shows in segments, studios ensure that millions of users maintain their subscriptions for longer periods, thus driving up revenue. However, subscribers are not fond of a policy that robs them of the joys of binge-watching. If these companies persist with this exasperating practice, they risk alienating their clientele.
'I basically stopped watching shows with a divided season. Absolutely lost track of when the new ep should be, and the plot either stops interest me or I forgot what happened, so emotional investment is also gone,' a viewer wrote on Reddit, echoing the sentiments of many. Too many.