The Sublime Suspense of Once-a-week Shows

Over the course of the long Chicago winter, I found myself needing more-and-more indoor activities to simultaneously satiate my hungry mind and help me keep warm. Eventually, I discovered the Apple TV+ series “Severance” and was blessed with its wonderful weekly releases, keeping me engaged and craving more of its mystery-box magic. 

The weekly episode schedule transported me back to a time before viewing all-season releases and binging episodes were common practices for the average consumer. I was instantly hooked. Apparently, so was everyone else — “Severance” soon became Apple TV+’s no. 1 most-watched series globally. 

Soon, the show was all I could talk, think or breathe about. Its one-episode-a-week format worked wonders on the average viewer. The suspense of the weekly release heightened the joy the series created. 

I began to break out of my comfort zone and discuss the series’ splendor with professors, classmates and people who I never thought I’d be sustaining conversations with over anything more than an assignment. This became a weekly habit — watching the series Thursday night and then divulging our thoughts to one another on Friday. 

With the predominance of streaming services and the ability to binge full-length releases, waiting for a weekly episode can feel especially drawn out for the modern television connoisseur. But the waiting is what creates the baited-breath beauty of a great show, which can elevate interest in other straight-to-streaming releases.  

One famous example of a weekly television show building curiosity is “Lost.” Heralded as one of the most influential shows of the early 21st century, its greatness wouldn’t have been possible without the format of pre-streaming, weekly airing.

The payoff of unexpected reveals and the building mystery of new plotlines is what drives suspense television forward. If the producers and directors desired the ebb and flow of plotlines to be consumed in one sitting, they would’ve created a movie or a special episode. 

Television is exalted by its formatting. Without the format of weekly television, the world may be without David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” — a monumental mystery series which pushed the boundaries of the weekly television format in its avant-garde style and humor. 

“Severance” has picked up their banner, with its weekly releases bringing back the almost-forgotten style — a style that should be revived across the industry.

The mindful and anti-instant-gratification format of once-a-week television has community in mind. Whether the community is the viewers watching the show or those who follow along and discuss with fellow fans, television’s slow build must be protected in the world of instant streaming.