Will Netflix release the fifth season of Lucifer in the spring and fall of 2020 or, God forbid, will they wait an entire year to conclude the series?
It’s a devilish possibility.
Fans of the hit show Arrested Development know too well what it’s like when Netflix splits one season into parts.
The first half of the fifth season of the show premiered on May 29, 2018, and the second half on March 15, 2019.
Almost a full year wait.
But Lucifer himself, Tom Ellis, hints that he’s been assured the two drop dates will happen with just “a little break.”
“Season five is going to be split into two halves,” Ellis told Kelly Clarkson. “Netflix is going to drop 8 episodes, and then there’s going to be a little break and then they’ll drop the other eight.”
So a “little” break could mean, let’s say, a May and September 2020 release.
Netflix has done the half seasons before.
They split up other popular shows like The Ranch, Fuller House, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt into half seasons.
It’s clear Netflix has an audience of binge-watchers, but it’s also found that viewers watch some shows in shorter spurts than some of its other programming.
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Breaking seasons up may make the content a little easier for viewers to digest.
Many Lucifans watched all the Season 4 episodes in a few sittings (or less).
But with new programming hitting Netflix weekly, if not daily, on top of the onslaught of content from other TV networks and streaming services, it can get a little overwhelming for non superfans.
And, from a business standpoint, there’s the reality that Lucifer is now the Most Watched Binged Show in history.
For Netflix executives, splitting Lucifer season 5 into two parts made a lot of sense.
But waiting too long between the first and second drop doesn’t make as much sense.
For Netflix, releasing half seasons may also extend the lifespan of its series so that its catalog never feels stale.
That’s crucial for the subscription service, which needs to entice members back to its platform month after month, despite the deluge of other streaming and TV options available to them.
Subscriber growth is the most important metric to Netflix investors, and a dip could send one of the world’s most valuable media stocks—rivaling Disney—tumbling.
Splitting new seasons of shows also presents two opportunities for the streaming service to push the new episodes to its 125 million members around the world.
Lucifans told JimHeath.TV earlier they’re okay with a two-part final season.
“A part of me wants it to be in two parts. It would feel like two seasons, I guess,” said @SeedsOfLily.
“I’m happy either way, I’m just glad we are getting an extended end season,” said @JadeAMiles.
“But I’m also totally down to binge all 16 eps in one sitting,” added @ShanLucifan.
The cast is in production now, and according to writers on social media, only the first half of the season has been written.
