Netflix’s own Breaking Bad type of crime drama released its final seven episodes.
It was a bold move that become a thing lately with high-profile Netflix shows. Bye-bye binge-watchers, we are releasing episodes in chunks, or “parts”. We saw it with Lucifer and Lupin, and it will be the same way with Stranger Things in just a few weeks. Ozark’s final season was halved as well and came in a generous 14 episodes format (previous seasons had 10 episodes each). Some call it bloated but with a seven-episode run, you can get interesting numbers as shown in January when Part 1 was released with 77 million hours watched in the first week and 96 million in the second. It did not reach the All-Time Top Ten but when we add the numbers of Parts 1 and 2 together after everything is said and done, this new strategy will shine through.
Ozark Season 4 Part 2 jumped over The Marked Heart, being number one in 48 markets (out of 85) on Sunday. The final episodes of Grace and Frankie Season 7 were released in the same time frame and the show made it into the top ten. The acclaimed Netflix show would not probably make it all the way into the seventh season right now when VOD giants are canceling one show after the other in the wake of the recent earnings calls. Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda had a good run. Grace and Frankie with its 94 episodes remains a binge-worthy sitcom gem for a huge audience that will eventually just grow into liking it.
All images courtesy of TMDB
