Arcane season 2
Netflix
Well, I was just about to write an article that Outer Banks had been dethroned by Arcane in Netflix’s Top 10 list, which did in fact happen. But only for a day. Now, just after its debut, Arcane season 2 has lost the spot to the second half of Outer Banks season 4, which climbed back on top.
That leaves Arcane only up there briefly but…this doesn’t matter. This likely happened because there are only three, 35 minute episodes of Arcane to watch right now, so fans are able to blaze through them on day one easily. Arcane will release all nine of its episodes by breaking them into chunks of three for three weekends in a row, something we really never see from any Netflix series.
Outer Banks, meanwhile, is ten full episodes closer to 45-50 minutes each and its finale is essentially an hour and a half long feature film. So in terms of viewing time alone, I’m not surprised that it’s stickier than Arcane right now. Arcane does not need to fight for a top spot on the list however, as it pushes for a season 3 renewal because…it’s not getting a season 3. Season 2 is meant to be its last, which may be for the best given A) it’s going out on top with another near-perfect season and B) it took us three years to get season 2 after season 1 and I don’t really want to wait until my two year-old starts Kindergarten to get another one.
Top 10
Netflix
Season 2 of Arcane has performed just as well as season 1, a perfect 100% critic score and a 97% audience score, making the case for it as one of the best Netflix series in history, and you could even say it is the best, if that wasn’t a subjective criteria.
As for Outer Banks, it will return for a fifth and final season in a year and a half or however long that takes, and it will end on its own terms as a mid-tier solid Netflix hit that has lasted longer than 90% of the service’s other series.
The rest of the list is a bit less epic, #3 is an alien documentary show, and we’ve probably seen a dozen of these on Netflix over the years. #4 is a countdown series about Netflix’s upcoming Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson fight. The Diplomat and The Lincoln Lawyer are down to #5 and #6, with The Lincoln Lawyer’s staying power particularly impressive. But less impressive than Nobody Wants This, hanging on at #8 after its release all the way back in September. That’s wild and yes, of course it got renewed for a season 2. Anyway, I’m going to watch those first three episodes of Arcane again.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Hero killer series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
