Stranger Things. Image: Netflix
Netflix has revealed the binge-watching habits of its viewers once again, pinning down precisely which episode got us hooked on Stranger Things, Making a Murderer and Narcos.
Three. Four. Four.
These are the episodes in Stranger Things, Making a Murderer and Narcos that turned viewers from casual observers into manic obsessives.
Early start
Digging into the viewer data naturally accumulated by the service, Netflix’s latest findings are revealing; with Orphan Black, Scream, Teen Wolf, The Get Down, iZombie and Love the other series that caught us as early as episode three.
The longer the series, the more views needed to get fans hooked. Those with 20 or more episodes, such as The Good Wife, Gotham and Gilmore Girls took five, six and seven episodes to really draw us in.
Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar in Narcos. Image: Netflix
“We’ve always known there is a commonality to great stories,” said Cindy Holland, VP of original content on Netflix. “The internet allows us to share these stories with audiences wherever they may be and what we see from the data is how similar our members watch and respond.
“The hooked findings give us confidence that there is an appetite for original and unique content, which is why we’re excited to deliver variety in stories to our members, whether they’re political dramas from France or musical dramas from the Bronx.”
The latest findings from Netflix:
| SHOW__________________ | HOOKED EPISODE | SYNOPSIS______________________ |
| American Horror Story: Murder House | 4 | Two of the house’s previous residents, interior designers Chad and Patrick, give the Harmons decorating advice. |
| Between | 4 | A teacher who turns 22 fears she may be the next victim of the virus. Chuck punishes a kid that wrecks a car, Melissa searches for Wiley and her baby. |
| Club de Cuervos | 5 | Felix considers an offer from a rival team, Chava tries to impress a cute reporter and Isabel makes a new friend. |
| Fuller House | 4 | Jackson tries to help Ramona at school but that lands them both in trouble and leads to a disagreement between DJ and Kimmy over parenting styles. |
| Gilmore Girls | 7 | Rory shares a romantic moment with Dean, but doesn’t tell Lorelai. When Lorelai hears about it from Mrs Kim she invites Dean over for movie night. |
| Gotham | 6 | When a killer starts targeting the first born of Gotham’s elite, Bullock faces traumatic memories from a nearly identical case. |
| How to Get Away With Murder | 3 | A soccer mom arrested for a petty crime turns out to be a terrorist; Annalise represents a college football star linked to Lila’s disappearance. |
| iZombie | 3 | The hit-and-run death of a mild-mannered suburban dad takes a surprising turn. Liv grapples with human emotions for Major. |
| Jane the Virgin | 6 | Jane drifts away from Michael and towards Rafael. As she gets closer to her father, she must cope with his nasty step-daughters, who attend her school. |
| Jessica Jones | 4 | A new case demands attention as Jessica tries to find out who’s spying on her for Kilgrave. Trish’s radio show yields unexpected consequences. |
| Love | 3 | Gus faces a make-or-break situation at work, while Mickey navigates a dicey new dynamic with her boss. |
| Making a Murderer | 4 | An unexpected confession casts doubt on Steven’s role in the murder case, but the new suspect gives conflicting accounts of what occurred. |
| Marseille | 4 | With the party in turmoil, Barres gets bolder in his attacks. Taro makes a startling discovery about his rival’s past. |
| Master of None | 4 | Dev has a series of eye-opening experiences after he encounters some casual racism in TV auditions. |
| Narcos | 4 | Despite a new extradition treaty, the US puts more money into fighting communism, creating new challenges for Murphy and Pena on the hunt for Pablo. |
| Orphan Black | 3 | After hitting the road with Felix, Sarah and Kira are forced to seek refuge at the home of one of Sarah’s former lovers. |
| Prison Break | 4 | Michael obtains some caustic chemicals to help in his escape plan. Later, his new cellmate Haywire develops a fascination with Michael’s tattoo. |
| Scream | 3 | Just as the killer challenges her to a dangerous game, Emma learns that her mother has been keeping more secrets. |
| Stranger Things | 3 | An increasingly concerned Nancy looks for Barb and finds out what Jonathan’s been up to. Joyce is convinced Will is trying to talk to her. |
| Teen Wolf | 3 | Scott’s first date with Allison ends up in the confusion of the dreaded ‘group date’ with Lydia and Jackson in tow. |
| The Get Down | 3 | Disgraced record producer Jackie Moreno wants to shepherd Myleene’s singer career. Boo-Boo plays a rare bootleg tape at a party, inviting trouble. |
| The Good Wife | 5 | Alicia and Will have only 72 hours to prove that a freight train crash was caused by the train company and not the engineers. |
| The Ranch | 4 | Colt smooths things over with Abby. When Maggie drags Beau to The Marriott for a romantic evening, the guys have some fun back at the house. |
Savour or devour
This is not the first time Netflix has revealed viewers’ habits. In June, the varying degrees of enthusiasm for shows on Netflix’s service were revealed.
Looking at more than 100 TV shows, across 190 countries, Netflix basically built a scale of the genres. At the ‘savour’ end of the scale, comedies and dramas were watched, on average, in sittings of less than two hours. At the ‘devour’ end, people spent more than two hours viewing.
Higher-energy shows, such as Scream, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story and The 100 are ‘devoured’, while heavier shows like The Americans, Bloodline and The Bridge are watched at slower rates.
