When Amazon Prime Video picked up The Summer I Turned Pretty, a three-book series by Jenny Han, and aired season one in the summer of 2022, it quickly caught the eye of the internet. This was followed by season 2, and now, this summer, season 3. However, this season had a different effect than the previous seasons. It was not just about watching to find out who Belly was going to choose in her love triangle, Conrad or Jereme, it was about the engagement online and how we consume television.
Prime Video
This season, viewers were patiently waiting to see which brother belly was going to choose, Conrad or Jeremiah, and all the subtle glances, conversations, and emotional twist throughout the journey.
In the last couple of years, as viewers of TV, we have grown used to streaming sources such as Netflix releasing seasons with all the episodes at the same time. We have grown used to being able to binge a whole season of a series in one sitting, but this summer, we had to wait for the weekly Wednesday night release of the next episode. For many fans, this was a frustrating reminder of the pre-streaming days, and for others it rekindled the excitement of anticipation and the pleasure of watching a story gradually unfold.
Amazon Prime’s decision to release this series weekly only increased viewer engagement and suspense. By a series having weekly drips, they are able to create this suspense in between episodes and extend the engagement of the show for an extended period of time. If The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 were released all at once, the majority of fans would likely binge-watch it within a week. It would briefly take over social media discussions, but interest would soon die and the focus would move on to the next trending series. But this summer, week by week after each episode aired, social media blew up with what happened in the most recent episode, predictions, and debates over what would happen next week. By having a week to post, talk, and debate over how the show has played out, Amazon created a shared experience that extended the show’s cultural relevance much longer than if all episodes had been released simultaneously.
While some people enjoyed waiting week by week for the next episode, not everyone felt the same. Many felt that by not having them come out all together, the show’s story was robbed of having momentum.
The main plot of The Summer I Turned Pretty, centered around the intense love triangle between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah, meant that waiting seven days between each episode diluted some of that intensity. Some fans have even admitted that they will hold off watching the new season until it has fully aired so they can watch it all together. Others felt that being forced to wait took away from having the emotions fresh in your mind from episode to episode. There was also the risk of spoilers. If you didn’t watch the latest episode as soon as it dropped, you needed to avoid scrolling social media so as not to have the episode spoiled for you.
“it feels like a growing number of the most important TV releases that we’re all talking about are actually throwbacks to the appointment TV era — releasing new episodes weekly, as opposed to binge-all-at-once drops.”
Are the days of being able to binge a whole season of a series over?
If so, how can platforms convince all viewers to get on board? The days of being able to binge-watch an entire season aren’t over, but are starting to fade out. Platforms are now adopting the model of weekly or 2-part release schedules. Netflix continues to release episodes all at once, especially for reality shows and fast-paced dramas. In contrast, Amazon, Disney+, and HBO have adopted staggered releases to keep subscribers engaged longer and extend cultural discussions.
In the end, the success of weekly releases might hinge less on their format and more on how audiences value the wait. For some viewers, having to wait added to the magic of the series, and they are able to savor each episode and engage with others in between. For others, it is seen as an obstacle to be able to watch the series from start to finish.
The Summer I Turned Pretty has become central to this broader discussion, illustrating that even in 2025, the methods we use to watch television are as debated as the narratives themselves. As other platforms explore new possibilities, audiences will keep expressing their preferences with both their attention and subscriptions. Belly’s seaside challenges have reminded us that the future of television goes beyond just what’s shown on screen; it’s also about how and when we access it.
References
Meek, A. (2025, April 15). Weekly Drops Are Dominating TV. Is The Netflix Binge Model A Relic? BGR. https://www.bgr.com/entertainment/from-the-last-of-us-to-the-studio-weekly-drops-are-dominating-tv-should-netflix-change/
Brooslin, J. (2025). To Binge-Watch or Not To Binge-Watch. The Fordham Ram. https://thefordhamram.com/opinion/to-binge-watch-or-not-to-binge-watch/
Deggans, E. (2024, January 31). How to choose the streaming services that are right for you. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/01/31/1226117501/best-streaming-service-netflix-amazon-prime-hulu-disney-max
Borkovic, I. (n.d.). The Benefits of Binge Watching. The Talon. https://lahstalon.org/the-benefits-of-binge-watching/
opinionsdesk, & Soloff, R. (2023, April 7). Opinion | Weekly TV releases are so much better than binge-watching – The Pitt News. The Pitt News. https://pittnews.com/article/180440/opinions/opinion-weekly-tv-releases-are-so-much-better-than-binge-watching/
Mercuri, M. (2025, September 16). What Time Does “The Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 Finale Come Out?. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2025/09/16/what-time-does-the-summer-i-turned-pretty-season-3-finale-come-out/
News, G. (2019, April 2). “I watched every episode in a single night”: Have we forgotten how to enjoy TV? Medium. https://medium.com/%40globalnews/i-watched-every-episode-in-a-single-night-have-we-forgotten-how-to-enjoy-tv-e45a7003a40a
Whitten, S. (2022, June 15). Netflix’s binge-release model is under new scrutiny as the streaming giant struggles. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/15/will-netflix-stop-binge-releases-experts-weigh-in.html
Shaw, R. (2024, July 18). The hottest new trend in streaming TV? Episodes released a week at a time. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/19/the-hottest-new-trend-in-streaming-tv-episodes-released-a-week-at-a-time
TV Shows Benefit More From A Weekly Release Rather Than A Single Dump. (2019, November 30). GOAT. https://goat.com.au/hollywood/tv-show-benefit-more-from-a-weekly-release-rather-than-a-single-dump/
The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV series). (2022, December 29). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Summer_I_Turned_Pretty_(TV_series)
Caitlin 
Clara 
Kath Smart