The Show Isn’t Over. Why Is the TV Leaving?

The episode ends, the credits begin, and the TV immediately starts packing up.

The picture shrinks into a corner. A box appears offering the next episode. Sometimes there’s a countdown, as though the TV has somewhere to be and you’re making it late.

I know the credits aren’t everybody’s favorite part. Most people don’t sit through twelve minutes of names to find out who was in charge of additional lighting. But some shows have a scene at the end. Sometimes the music is good. Sometimes you just want a moment to absorb what happened before being launched into another hour of whatever terrible decision these characters are about to make.

The streaming service has decided that moment is inefficient.

So now, instead of watching the end of a show, you’re operating the television. Find the remote. Locate the button that restores the credits. Press it before the countdown expires. You came here to sit down, and the TV has given you a small timed assignment.

The strange part is that nobody asked for the next episode. You selected one episode, watched it, and reached the end. The service interprets this as an urgent request for more. Meanwhile, if you do want to watch the next episode, the remote is right there. It has buttons. Several of them.

Autoplay isn’t always terrible. If you’re halfway through a series and happy to keep going, having the next episode ready is convenient. But there’s a difference between making something available and starting it while the thing you chose is still on the screen.

Imagine a waiter clearing your plate while you’re taking the last bite and setting down another dinner. “You seemed to enjoy the first one.” Fair enough, but I still have a fork in my hand.

And the credits themselves have become oddly negotiable. They’re part of the episode when the service is counting how long the episode is. The moment they appear, though, they’re treated like clutter you might want help getting around.

I don’t need the TV to solemnly honor every assistant editor. I just want it to leave the show alone until the show is actually over.

Then, if I want another episode, I’ll press a button. The TV can wait ten seconds. It’s not the one with plans.