'Wednesday' hasn't lost any popularity between seasons and remains a phenomenon

We don’t dig into TV ratings as often as box office numbers, partly because the ups and downs of the box office are more dynamic and carry more of a “What does it all mean?” intrigue, and partly because streaming metrics don’t have the same concrete footing as traditional TV ratings. Still, the success of ‘Wednesday’ is worth noting. Season two hasn’t missed a step, and there’s an argument to be made it’s even more popular, or at least more watched than season one.

The first season of ‘Wednesday’ is Netflix’s most-viewed English-language season ever, and second overall only to the first season of ‘Squid Game.’ That’s phenomenon-level territory.

Netflix measures its shows by first-five-days viewership, similar to a movie’s opening weekend. When season one of ‘Wednesday’ debuted, Netflix was still reporting total minutes watched, but Variety’s number crunching showed 50.1 million viewers in the first five days. Season two, which premiered Aug. 4, opened with 50 million viewers.

At minimum, ‘Wednesday’ is holding steady, but there’s more to it. Anticipating the buzz, Netflix split season two into two parts. Only four episodes have been released so far, with the remaining four arriving Sept. 3. Some viewers are likely waiting for the full season to drop before watching, meaning the first-five-days figure for part two could be even higher. When all is said and done, season two could become the most popular season in Netflix history.

Critical and fan reception has also been strong, another reason to expect season three to be another major hit for the streamer.

(h/t Variety)