this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2024
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Part of what made LOST enjoyable was the wait between episodes, and the rabid fandom that generated. Fan forums were all over the place, and people just kept lobbing theory after theory out there about WTF was going on. Add in frame-by-frame breakdowns, the few times writers proved a few fans true on some truly wild ideas, and the official ARGs, and it just became this whole phenomenon. Neither of the show's endings were ever going to live up to that hype, and in retrospect, makes those takes as much in the moment as the show itself.
Re-watching it on a binge is doable, but more closely emulates what the producers experienced prior to broadcast. Which is to say it's entertaining, but not the same entertainment.
Yes, this is a fair point. The wait between episodes was just as important as the episodes themselves. All the community buildup, discussion, fan theories, etc.
That may not be the majority of viewers, but they certainly are your shows “free” hype men. They’re the ones that’ll tell everyone they know who would be interested (pre-qualified leads!) all about their favorite new obsession. They’re also the ones that’ll buy merch, or name their kid after Daenerys Targaryen (they say that Danielle is an old family name and they just call their girl Danni for short but you know it’s because they were heavy GoT watchers).
Maybe that’s part of why streaming services are going back to weekly (i.e. Handsmaid Tale) or split-season (i.e. Stranger Things) releases. It’s not just for profit…the suspense between the episodes can be just as, if not more, valuable and enjoyable as the episodes themselves.
I'd say so. If nothing else, consider what a proper episode-end cliffhanger is to experience in that scenario. It's a radically different thing.