I think binge watching takes something away, but commercial interruptions take a lot more away, and fixed-hour availability made intelligent television a rarity (Tivo and Netflix enable TV to accommodate a smarter, busier audience and have changed the nature of what gets made).
What most people seem to do these days is: (1) binge watch, (2) discuss what it meant for the week after, (3) re-watch a few months later to get a sense of what they missed due to binge watching. Shows like Breaking Bad have enough depth that it's worth it to watch them a second time.
Still, I doubt the release-all-at-once dynamic will be the norm in 3 years, but I doubt we'll have the arbitrary winter breaks designed to make sure the season finale lands in the 20s of May. I could see an every-two-days release cycle being the norm (so a show like House of Cards would unfold over a month).
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I think binge watching takes something away, but commercial interruptions take a lot more away, and fixed-hour availability made intelligent television a rarity (Tivo and Netflix enable TV to accommodate a smarter, busier audience and have changed the nature of what gets made).
What most people seem to do these days is: (1) binge watch, (2) discuss what it meant for the week after, (3) re-watch a few months later to get a sense of what they missed due to binge watching. Shows like Breaking Bad have enough depth that it's worth it to watch them a second time.
Still, I doubt the release-all-at-once dynamic will be the norm in 3 years, but I doubt we'll have the arbitrary winter breaks designed to make sure the season finale lands in the 20s of May. I could see an every-two-days release cycle being the norm (so a show like House of Cards would unfold over a month).