Growing up, every Monday, the playground was abuzz with my classmates and I dissecting the latest release of “Jessie” or “Victorious.” After waiting seven tantalizing days between episodes, we were desperate to discuss Bertram’s antics or the latest events at Hollywood Arts.
If you are in any way online, odds are you’ve heard of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Season three’s episodes have been coming out every Wednesday since mid-July, generating a frenzy of excitement that has permeated the entire summer. Scrolling on TikTok — or even just waiting in line at the Blue Room — it’s difficult to escape the debate between those on “Team Conrad” versus “Team Jeremiah” (or, my personal favorite, “Team Benito”). Fans wait for the next episode to provide more fodder for fan edits or the ongoing question of Belly’s love life.
These moments between episodes, which we lost in the “binge-watching” culture of the 2010s, are a large part of what made us fall in love with “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Not only do the summer nights and the characters’ teenage problems transport us into a simpler time, but the nostalgia of the weekly release model fills us with the same giddy anticipation of our youth.
Binge-watching was born in 2013 — just as today’s college students outgrew cartoons and Disney Channel — when Netflix released the entire first season of the hit “House of Cards” for on-demand streaming. For the first time, viewers could decide when and for how long they wanted to watch a series. Instead of TV shows bringing us together for playground debates or watch parties, streaming services now profit off of our reliance on content as company: when one episode of a show ends, the familiar sound of another one beginning plays, without the viewer having to lift a finger or decide whether to keep watching.
Disney+ reintroduced the weekly release model in 2019 with the Star Wars spinoff, “The Mandalorian.” The show experienced resounding success, largely attributed to the buzz that crescendoed between episodes. HBO’s “The White Lotus,” was released weekly and had fans poring feverishly over every tattoo, stray prop and even the opening credits. The same way we used to obsess over episodes of “Scooby Doo,” fans of the drama piled into the proverbial “Mystery Machine” after every episode to unpack its events and attempt to predict the plot of the next one. The binge model prevents this buzz from taking form, as viewers don’t give themselves the chance to appreciate the details or nuance of an episode before hopping straight to the next.
Not only does binging preclude the opportunity to discuss a show between episodes, but the act of binge-watching itself is almost always a solitary activity. “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” has built communities that experience the twists and turns of each episode together. Not only do family and friends curl up on the couch to watch every week, but a viral sports bar in New York City saw lines around the block for their watch parties, an overflowing room filled with strangers laughing and crying together at every scene. While binging naturally isolates, weekly releases forge relationships, gives people something to talk about and carves out an excuse to come together. Together, we’re on the edge of our seats, yearning for content almost as much as Conrad was yearning for Belly.
Debates over Conrad and Jeremiah remind me of the playground chatter of childhood — a welcome distraction from the harsh reality of the world. Ahead of the release of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” finale last Wednesday, Amazon Prime Video announced that the franchise would continue with a movie, likely to be released in 2027. And so, the same way I used to wait patiently for Sunday morning cartoons or the “Good Luck Charlie” and “Jessie” Christmas crossover, I’ll enjoy the nostalgic thrill of theorizing about Conrad and Cousins Beach until then. Because maybe in a world of endless streaming and short attention spans, what we’re really craving isn’t content, but something to wait for.
Isabella Gardiner ‘28 can be reached at isabella_gardiner@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
