Why Wednesday Season 2 Only Has 4 Episodes

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Approximately three years following the debut of Season 1, Season 2 of “Wednesday” is now available – and it’s not just Jenna Ortega’s character that’s compact, the entire season is. Despite the extended wait due to writers’ and actors’ strikes along with some scheduling issues, the popular show’s return on Netflix consists of merely four episodes released on August 6, 2025 (conveniently on a Wednesday).

In the first season of “Wednesday,” there were eight episodes, so some viewers might feel let down by only having four episodes to watch in the second season. While it’s true that Netflix plans to deliver more content, they are making fans wait a bit longer. The initial four episodes make up Season 2, Part 1, with Part 2 scheduled for release on September 3, 2025.

The rationale behind splitting series releases is a tactic that initially emerged with the launch of “Stranger Things” Season 4 in two distinct volumes. Following this approach, Netflix has opted to distribute some of its most popular returning shows in two portions, typically with a gap of about a month between them. This strategy is currently being applied to series such as “The Witcher” Season 3, “Bridgerton” Season 3, “Virgin River” Season 5, and now “Wednesday” Season 2. Some productions have even extended this method: “Cobra Kai” Season 6 was divided into three parts, and “Stranger Things” Season 5 will also be split into three, with releases planned for Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.

The reasons for divided seasons can vary. For instance, the divide in Stranger Things Season 4 was partly due to allowing some episodes to be released before visual effects were completely finished. Similarly, this might be a factor in Wednesday Season 2, but since it uses less computer-generated imagery (CGI), delays are minimized. In contrast, shows like The Crown and Bridgerton opt for a split from a creative perspective because the showrunners believe there is a genuine emotional break that can be better conveyed by dividing the season in two. This was explained by Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria, to Deadline in January.

Additionally, while not their primary strategy, it’s also about keeping viewers engaged and maintaining subscribers. Distributing episodes over multiple months not only encourages people to stay subscribed to Netflix for longer periods, but it also makes shows more popular because they remain a topic of conversation. This way, instead of one peak, there are two closely spaced peaks, providing a continuous engagement experience. However, Netflix could potentially achieve this through innovative methods like weekly episode releases, though it seems unlikely that they will abandon the binge-watching model entirely. Instead, this strategy offers them a blend of the benefits from both models.

As a die-hard movie enthusiast, I’ve got to say this: No matter when or how Wednesday Season 2 drops its episodes, it’s clear that it’s going to be one of Netflix’s blockbuster hits this year – maybe even beating out the likes of Squid Game and Stranger Things when all the numbers are crunched. Admittedly, only four episodes in Part 1 might leave fans feeling a bit frustrated after such a long wait, but luckily, we won’t have to wait too much longer for the rest of the season to roll out.

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2025-08-06 01:44