3-year waits ruin most shows, but Stranger Things is the exception

The fifth and final season of Stranger Thingspremieres this fall on Netflix. It’s been three long years since season 4 concluded, which would spell doom for a lot of shows. Even popular series like Wednesday, one of the biggest hits in Netflix’s history, had significantly fewer viewers in its second season than in its first, according to Forbes. That pattern holds true for other big genre dramas like House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power, and The Witcher. When shows go multiple years between seasons, how can anyone expect viewers to remain interested?