Conor Culloton, Assistant Account Executive
Infographic by Grace Culloton, Design Assistant
The reported release date of the second season of Netflix’s staggeringly successful series “House of Cards” is early 2014. When season two premieres I will put school, work, sleep, and socializing on hold as I follow Francis Underwood’s Machiavellian, underhanded scheming in a series of 45-minute installments of the award-winning series that has me “binge watching.” This used to be an activity reserved for people when they got a night off and their hands on a season-set of DVD’s. It has since transformed to a pastime that can be done anywhere at any time, so long as the watcher has a wi-fi connection and a Netflix subscription.
Yes, I am part of that thriving 62 percent of Americans that has binge watched a series and I couldn’t be happier to be alive in 2013. Shows like “House of Cards,” have seemingly been written specifically for binge watching, as they are filled with cliffhangers and intentional, recurring symbolism. Sure, shows like this have the potential to decimate the life that I’ve built for myself by consuming every second of my free time. But I love it. Everyone loves it. Savvy producers know which way the wind is blowing in the television industry. Based on the kind of viewership that shows like “30 Rock” and “How I Met Your Mother” get from viewers catching up on previous seasons, a TV show that hasn’t partnered with a streaming company like Netflix or Hulu is beyond foolish.
Furthermore, the success found by “House of Cards” has encouraged Netflix to create another critically acclaimed series, “Orange is the New Black,” and who knows how many more delightful series in the future. This emerging trend is nothing but consumer-friendly. Suddenly, television entertainment is ours. There are no commercials, no network execs telling us when during the week we can watch our favorite shows, and not even a restriction on where we can watch TV. That, my friends, is innovation.