It’s the most radical entertainment act left. J. Harper is a culture writer based in Los Angeles.

So why is everyone so tired?

The average consumer now juggles four different streaming services, paying more than a traditional cable bundle ever cost. In response, viewers have stopped browsing and started retreating. "Comfort rewatching"—playing The Office , Friends , or Gilmore Girls on a loop—now accounts for a massive percentage of streaming minutes. Faced with 50,000 choices, the brain chooses the path of least resistance: nostalgia.

First is . Netflix’s Bandersnatch was a trial run; the new wave—exemplified by the gaming-adjacent Twilight Zone style experiences—asks viewers to choose the protagonist’s fate. This fractures the audience, but it deepens investment.