Summary
The Bear’s binge drop method of release is being criticized by viewers on social media. Created by Christopher Storer,The Bearfirst premiered in 2022, introducing audiences to Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy as he attempts to bring order to his late brother’s sandwich shop. After an acclaimed first two seasons,The Bearseason 3just released in its entirety on Hulu, with all ten episodes becoming available to viewers at the same time.
Users are now taking to X, formerly Twitter, to express frustration withThe Bear’s binge release model. According to some viewers, the hit kitchen drama would benefit more from a more traditional weekly release strategy. Check out select posts below:
“I just want to say again how terrible it is to just drop every episode of a hot show that could power WEEKS off [sic] discussion,” saysAngie Manfredi.
Ashley K.echoes this sentiment, writing: “I actually do wish The Bear would drop week to week like House of the Dragon. It deserves to be in the conversation longer.”
“I hate when shows drop a whole season at once,” writes@omgchomp. “[I]t is not healthy to consume a whole season of [T]he [B]ear in one sitting.”
“[T]he [B]ear simply cannot be a binge-drop show,” argues@scullz. They write that the show “needs to be a weekly upload” because"being peer pressured into needing to watch it all in one night so as to not get spoiled or left out of the loop sucks."
@viceanglaiswrites that “it’s impossible to enjoy [T]he [B]ear at your own pace now because of spoilers.” Arguing in favor of a weekly release, they continue: “do you know how enjoyable is [sic] to dissect each ep[isode] for a whole week on a show like this?”
“[W]hy did they drop every single episode of [T]he [B]ear at once,” askskyra.
@teewatterssargues thatThe Bearseason 3 “should’ve been released as a true ten course [sic] meal,” allowing audiences to sit with and “savour"each episode.
Would The Bear Benefit From A Weekly Release Model?
Drawbacks Of A Binge Release Explained
While Netflix has made the binge drop model far more common in the world of streaming TV, there’s certainly an argument to be made that some shows are better suited to a more traditional weekly release model. In theory, the binge model allows viewers to watch shows at their own pace. This was certainly exciting after decades of shows releasing episodes weekly, butthose who don’t want to or don’t have time to binge-watch now feel pressured into doing so to avoid spoilers and to engage in discussion.
The Bear Season 3 Ending Explained: What’s Next For Carmy & Sydney
After walking through Carmy, Sydney, and the crew’s struggles with their new restaurant, The Bear season 3 ends on a fascinatingly ambiguous note.
In addition to how taxing this can be for viewers, the binge release might actually be worse for the shows themselves. Something likeHouse of the Dragonseason 2 arguably benefits greatly from its weekly release model becauseeveryone is watching at the same pace, meaning each episode is discussed on social media as it comes out. Discussion and interest in that show will now persist for at least 10 weeks instead of, say, the two or three weeks that viewers will spend with thecast ofThe Bearseason 3.
The Bearseason 4 has reportedly already been given the green light.
A weekly release can help make shows feel relevant for longer, but it may also benefit the actual absorption of each episode. If newepisodes ofThe Bearare released weekly,the show no longer becomes content to be consumed as quickly as possible, and instead becomes appointment viewing at a particular day and time each week between which viewers digest previous episodes while looking forward to the next.The Bear’s binge release model is evidently working as the show continues to be a viewership hit, but there’s certainly reason to believe it would benefit from a weekly model instead.
Source: Various (see above)
