Streaming services have been able to get the maximum profits during the pandemic. They have been a lifesaver for several people. As a result, several OTT platforms stream some of the best series for us. But there have been some issues for the users. One of those problems has been the subscription service that platforms have. It is sometimes difficult for the users to shell out money every month for the subscription.
So, there has been a revelation by XDA Developers that there are chances that Google will introduce ad-based movie streaming on Google Play Movies. It has been done to make the platform more popular. It has been revealed after an analysis of the APK of the app. It is similar to the feature that YouTube provides.
In the entertainment market, online streaming platforms have been the king for the last couple of years. Several movies and shows are being released especially for the OTT platform. As a result, several big production houses like Bollywood, Hollywood and various others all around the world are creating content for the OTT platform.
As a result, platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix and many others are already gaining users and popularity. But Google Play Movies has been on the back foot in this case. The content that is available on this platform is paid. Due to that, the users are finding it difficult to use the platform as they will have to pay individually for each content.
So, now Google might launch this service for its users. But there is no clarity that which content will be free and which will not. Once, the confusion is clear then it will be better for the users.
On the other hand, mobile networks are also making users in India stream more content over the internet. The decrease in internet costs in the country is also making it possible for users to consume more data. All of these changes were made possible by the introduction of the JIO 4G network in the country.
Now, there is another point for streamers to take advantage of. The feature is that of the higher penetration of smart devices in various households. The pandemic pushed several people to buy devices or upgrade their existing one. This was done to complete the various tasks that people need a device for. Also, the new devices helped various people beat their boredom by watching content online.
The higher usage and the slow but steady expansion of devices that support streaming platforms are also making it easier for people to stay UpToDate with their favourite shows. It is due to the support that various devices like tablets, smartphones and many more have. The continuous software support which is currently being provided by the major smart device companies is also helping in making various devices eligible for use by the users. The constant support is also making the various streaming platforms push out an update for their apps so that they can work on various devices.
So all of these points are going to help google play movies get more viewers after they release the ad-free support for the users. But for the time being this news must be taken with a pinch of salt.
Netflix is now providing one more option for American users. Now, some users have the option of taking up the lowest subscription available with ads. This subscription is available for a price of $6.99 a month and comes with ads in between the shows.
This subscription also makes some of the content unavailable to the viewers. To check the blocked content, you will have to get the no ads subscription. If the content has a red lock in the top right corner, then assume that such content is blocked.
This offer was on the cards for quite some time. So, after some trial, now the offer is available for some. This offer now makes the most popular streaming site, more attractive to viewers. It also enables the viewers to experience their favourite content, but with some ads. There is also a restriction in terms of the resolution, which is restricted to 720p.
On the official part, Netflix clarifies that there will ads of 15 to 20 seconds in duration. You cannot skip them, but you can pause them. The ads are the general ads that you see on the internet or YouTube. So, now we can choose one of the cheaper options from Netflix and keep using it. It will reduce piracy to some extent. It will also reduce the sharing of accounts which has been the case with many, for the last few years.
Recently, there have been speculations of various changes in the Netflix plan. So there have been some for the last few months. It is one of them. The other changes include the introduction of restrictions that will stop people from sharing passwords of their accounts with their friends and family.
But there is also content on the platform which will not show you any ads. It is difficult to predict as no list or indication will indicate which content has ads and which does not.
Now, if we consider different platforms, then there are a few changes that point to this new subscription option. In the case of iOS, there is an indication that people can select an ad-supported option, but there are no links, that can point you in the right direction. On the other hand, there are links on the website that will direct you to the page, that will let you choose the ad option.
So, now these changes will be bad news for some. As people expect to see ads in a free version of any service. But, here the viewers will have to watch ads even after paying a certain amount for a subscription. Only time will tell whether viewers like this plan or not. But for beginners there is one plus point, there is an even cheaper version of Netflix for the viewers. For the unknown, there will also be less requirement for some to share their login details as more viewers will be able to afford Netflix. Netflix will also be hoping that more subscribers use its streaming service.
Stranger Things just broke the record for the biggest Premiere with it’s new sStranger Things just broke the record for the biggest Premiere with it’s new season and here are some mindblowing facts about the hit Netflix show – 1) Dacre Montgomery had to lose his abs to play the role of Billy for a more realistic 80s type of body. 2) Millie Bobby Brown’s first kiss ever happened on the show. 3) Charlie, who playes Jonathan Byers was detained at LAX in 2017 after they allegedly found traces of drugs on him. It even caused him to miss the Stranger Things Season 2 premiere. 4) Sadie Sink almost didn’t get her role for the reason that she was taller than the other boy leads. But the boys soon hit puberty and caught up with her height and we now love her as Max on the show. 5) Millie is deaf in one ear 6) Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler are a couple in real life. Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer are very private about their relationship. 7) Charlie, who plays Jonathan Byers is a father. He has a son with his ex, a 41 years old Japanese drummer named Akiko Matsuura. 8) Gaten Matarazzo has the same medical condition as his character Dustin. He was born with a rare congenital disorder that affects the development of bones and teeth. 9) Stranger Things was rejected more than 15 times before Netflix said yes! The Duffer brothers said that some executives found it strange that a show would feature children as leads and adults as audience. 10) Millie almost quit acting before she got her role as Eleven 11) Over 1000 kids auditioned for the main role. 906 boys and 307 girls read scenes for the Pilot episode just to get lead roles. 12) Winona Ryder had to be convinced to accept her role as Joyce Byers. The Duffer brothers talked to Winona for 4 and a half hours and the next day she joined the project. 13) Maya Hawke, who plays Robin is a child of huge actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. 14) Almost all of the main cast members play music. Millie sings very well and sometimes even raps. Charlie, Joe, Gaten and Finn all played in bands. Caleb has two singles out. Dacre writes beat poetry music and Maya performs Indie songs. 15) David Harbor, who plays Eleven’s step dad, once fulfilled his fan’s request to take senior photos with her after she tweeted him her wish. eason and here are some mindblowing facts about the hit Netflix show – 1) Dacre Montgomery had to lose his abs to play the role of Billy for a more realistic 80s type of body. 2) Millie Bobby Brown’s first kiss ever happened on the show. 3) Charlie, who playes Jonathan Byers was detained at LAX in 2017 after they allegedly found traces of drugs on him. It even caused him to miss the Stranger Things Season 2 premiere. 4) Sadie Sink almost didn’t get her role for the reason that she was taller than the other boy leads. But the boys soon hit puberty and caught up with her height and we now love her as Max on the show. 5) Millie is deaf in one ear 6) Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler are a couple in real life. Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer are very private about their relationship. 7) Charlie, who plays Jonathan Byers is a father. He has a son with his ex, a 41 years old Japanese drummer named Akiko Matsuura. 8) Gaten Matarazzo has the same medical condition as his character Dustin. He was born with a rare congenital disorder that affects the development of bones and teeth. 9) Stranger Things was rejected more than 15 times before Netflix said yes! The Duffer brothers said that some executives found it strange that a show would feature children as leads and adults as audience. 10) Millie almost quit acting before she got her role as Eleven 11) Over 1000 kids auditioned for the main role. 906 boys and 307 girls read scenes for the Pilot episode just to get lead roles. 12) Winona Ryder had to be convinced to accept her role as Joyce Byers. The Duffer brothers talked to Winona for 4 and a half hours and the next day she joined the project. 13) Maya Hawke, who plays Robin is a child of huge actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. 14) Almost all of the main cast members play music. Millie sings very well and sometimes even raps. Charlie, Joe, Gaten and Finn all played in bands. Caleb has two singles out. Dacre writes beat poetry music and Maya performs Indie songs. 15) David Harbor, who plays Eleven’s step dad, once fulfilled his fan’s request to take senior photos with her after she tweeted him her wish.
The disturbing thoughts swim in the conscience as one could clearly hear the sound of social implosion in Ram Madhvani’s compelling thriller, lined with commentary on media ethics
In the week of big public apology, comes a film where a common man seeks repentance from a powerful minister for not being able to do his duty. A gutsy idea that fills you with nervous energy, the film is an official remake of a Korean flick but, closer home, it reminds you of the angry common man of ‘A Wednesday’.
In the Neeraj Pandey film, the desperate everyman threatened to bomb Mumbai, here the despairing migrant crosses the line. The film makes you wonder what has changed in the last decade. Perhaps, the trust of the marginalised has been breached. Perhaps, it was reflected during the mass exodus from big cities to villages during the pandemic. It is not that the last man standing in the row was getting attention earlier but he was not being fed hope by a section of rapacious media. His trust was not being played with 24×7.
What seems like a ‘usual’ terror attack/ hostage situation to him that he intends to milk, quickly turns personal as his estranged wife (Mrunal Thakur) is reporting from ground zero. Even as the threat lurks into the newsroom, the remnant of journalism left in his system is smoked out by a hard-nosed producer Ankita Malaskar (Amruta Subhash). For her, truth and news are two different things.
In the ensuing moral battle, it becomes increasingly clear who is the bigger villain of the piece. But, at the same time, the narrative also becomes increasingly predictable. As the taut thriller starts getting flaccid, you start picking up faults in the plot. When a film takes a high moral ground, the margin to slip also reduces. When a film that seeks to expose the artifice of prime-time news starts looking staged, it pains.
The set design and cinematography are top-notch but the functioning of the newsroom, the motivations of the ‘villain’, and the actions of the officer of the anti-terror unit (Vikas Kumar) leave you unsated. After taking you to the edge of the seat, the climax is a tad disappointing. A few more drafts, a little more sharpness would have helped. No such issue with Amruta who excels in a minutely observed character that exemplifies the state of a section of electronic news media.
Karthik has been astutely cast in the role of the hollow television anchor fattened by opportunism, teleprompter, and TRPs. Like in ‘Love Aaj Kal’, he plays the ‘straying’ part well but when it comes to the transformation, he fumbles. Thankfully, that portion is short here.
Squid Game is a highly bingeable nine-episode show that can be described as a variation of the Hunger Games series (albeit better, less generic, and even more brutal). It is a dystopian flick that nobody wanted until everybody did—with this ruthless South Korean hit trending as #1 on Netflix. I can’t say that it is one of my all-time favorite shows, nor would I necessarily consider it to be “high art” per se. But I do recommend it. To me, it seems that there are two main types of popular television: the cheesy shows that consist mostly of instant gratification, and the anomalies that not only generate insane traffic but are also well-done. Moreover, the show features some scintillating social commentary on the rich vs. the poor. This—combined with equally striking action—renders a scrumptious blockbuster.
The pilot episode takes a while to draw viewers in, with some backstory that dragged at times. But once you’re in, you will remain on the edge of your seat. The central plot is as follows: 456 people (particularly people facing insurmountable debt) are lured into an elaborate game on a secret island with a prize of nearly $40 million. The rules are simple. 1. Contestants play children’s games. 2. There are six rounds, each containing its own game. 3. Each round, those who lose will be eliminated until only one winner emerges from the final round. The assumption is that losers will simply leave. Little did they know that “elimination” entails something far more nefarious: death, which they don’t discover until over 200 people are killed in cold blood. Another interesting facet is the guards. They too are moved around like cannon fodder by the elites who run this sick, elaborate spectacle.
Squid Game has plenty of redeeming factors. The quality of the acting, which I found too histrionic in the beginning, is ultimately believable. The screenwriting is as sharp as it is creative. The cinematography paints a surreal, colorful world that feels like the backdrop of a video game, all exaggerated shapes, sizes, and harsh edges. Also, the characters are compelling; you find yourself rooting for some to win triumphantly and others to fail dramatically. Many of them undergo enormous trauma and transformation, and the actors rise to the challenge of portraying believable emotions in an unbelievable setting. To be fair, this show will not go down in my head as a “classic,” but it was enough to lure me into devouring all nine episodes in less than 24 hours. Granted, Squid Game is too graphic for even some of you who tolerated the Hunger Games series. Otherwise, this is truly an immersive and stupendous experience with some crazy twists that will leave you shocked.
“SEX EDUCATION” is a show on Netflix. Socially awkward high school student Otis may not have much experience in the lovemaking department, but he gets good guidance on the topic in his personal sex ed course — living with mom Jean, who is a sex therapist. Being surrounded by manuals, videos and tediously open conversations about sex, Otis has become a reluctant expert on the subject. When his classmates learn about his home life, Otis decides to use his insider knowledge to improve his status at school, so he teams with whip-smart bad girl Maeve to set up an underground sex therapy clinic to deal with their classmates’ problems. But through his analysis of teenage sexuality, Otis realizes that he may need some therapy of his own.
Every performer is wonderful, not least because the script is wonderful, playing the sex for laughs and the search for intimacy as something serious, good and noble. Not a single character is a cipher – even the smallest parts have a sketched backstory and some good gags. It’s all of a piece with the charm and generosity of spirit that suffuses the whole thing. Sex Education sets so many conventions cheerily but firmly aside that you feel like an entire forest of received wisdom is being clear-cut. Light floods in, new growth springs up. Such a sense of revelry and optimism abounds that you can feel it doing your heart and soul good as you watch. And all without missing a comic or emotional beat or deviating from its moral core, which urges us all to connect.
So welcome once more, Otis (and your newly excitable penis), Maeve with her troubles to seek, Jackson (Kedar Williams-Stirling) whose mental health plummets to new lows as his swimming career reaches new heights, Aimee through whose experience on a local bus the issue of sexual assault is channelled, and all the magnificent rest of you. Nobody does it better. In fact, nobody does anything quite like it at all.
Sex Education manages to achieve the best of both worlds; it’s a highly entertaining and often delightful binge watch that’s so good that the real world just melts away, but it’s also shockingly relatable and might wind up being a newfound source of hope to apply to real-world relationships.
First off, for those who might be in it for the sex, that’s definitely there. Frequent masterbation, fetishes, dirty talk, a variety of forms of experimentation – you name it, Sex Education probably has it. And the series rarely holds back when it comes to showing such acts. No, it doesn’t cross the line of its maturity rating by getting unnecessarily graphic, but it does make a point to lean into the grounded awkwardness one might experience when going into new sexual territory. Sex Education also rocks a playful tone with these scenes, successfully suggesting that there’s no reason to feel ashamed if you’ve found yourself in a similar predicament.
The show also doesn’t hold back when it comes to tackling weighty topics either. There’s an especially powerful episode about abortion early on in Season 1 that absolutely blew me away with how it took the time to make the experience so deeply personal for a number of characters, whether it’s someone who’s going through the procedure or the one who’ll be there to walk them home after. There’s also a sexual assault storyline in Season 2 that’s completely different from anything I’ve ever seen on screen before. Rather than limit that particular plot point to a select few episodes, it reverberates from Episode 3 on, taking the time to show the possible stages of experiencing such trauma and how one can come to terms with it.
Netflix started in its second-quarter earnings report on Tuesday that its early gaming efforts will be centered on mobile games and that the games will be included with customers’ Netflix subscriptions. The news comes just days after the firm announced the hiring of Mike Verdu, a former EA, and Oculus executive, to lead its gaming efforts.
From Netflix’s letter to investors, here’s what it said about gaming:
We’re also in the early phases of extending into games, drawing on our previous interactive initiatives (e.g., Black Mirror Bandersnatch) and Stranger Things games. We see gaming as a new content category for us, in the same way, that we’ve expanded into original films, animation, and unscripted television. Games, like films and shows, will be included in customers’ Netflix subscriptions at no additional cost. We’ll start by concentrating on games for mobile devices. We’re as thrilled as ever about our movie and TV series offerings, and we foresee a long runway of increased investment and growth across all of our existing content categories, but now that we’ve been at it for almost a decade, we believe it’s time to learn more about how our members value gaming.
Although Netflix just expanded its TV contract with Shonda Rhimes to include feature films and gaming content, there are still no indications on what sorts of games would be accessible. There’s also no indication of how Netflix subscribers will get their games.
In the past, the business has admitted that it competes for time and attention with games, with co-CEO Reed Hastings stating in 2019 that “we compete with (and lose to) Fortnite more than HBO.” In April, as part of the company’s first-quarter reporting, COO Greg Peters mentioned the interest of the company in gaming (PDF). And with games like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Carmen Sandiego, the firm has already dabbled with gaming.
However, it appears like Netflix is now more interested in gaming than ever, with the recent appointment of Verdu and the fresh details revealed Tuesday about its first intentions.
When the topic of consumption arises our mind usually wonders about food. But today food is not the only thing that we consume. There is term “Content Consumption”. Briefly , it is the social media post or post in any other sites, that a person views or reads.According to a data average daily time spent consuming content is 6 hours and 59 min ( Not so surprisingly, it is accounted as normal these days)
The fact that we spend almost all the day using our phones in not so problematic but what we watch is a serious issue. Is the content we consume worth consuming??
There are thousands of tik tok videos, instagram reels that are available in the net. According to data an average person spends average of 21.5 hours per month scrolling through reels. The statistics seems very low , but when you realise that reels are just about of 30 secs, it will hit that people consumes 645 of such videos per month. Not only reels, consumption of Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and many other OTT platforms ,have increased tremendously since the start of pandemic. Binging shows and chilling is quite a fun idea of relaxation but it traps a person into a loop of entertainment.Many people don’t get good night’s sleep , why?? Because they were watching series or scrolling through social media. At first it seems fun way of escaping daily life challenges , but what we don’t realise is that we are becoming mentally weak. Now everytime a challenge comes down , instead of facing it, we would like to watch a series. For the sake of forgetting , we are burdening our works , thus, leading to mental stress, anxiety and depression.
Now, is it worth watching a series instead of doing work? Being attracted to glorious content and consuming it for hours , without having the knowledge of time , is not worth it at all. It is making us unhealthy in many unknowing ways. What we consume today decides what our personality and mindset will be. Internet is a vast world in its own. There are millions and millions of content . It varies from educational to news to entertainment. Everything that we want is at our finger tip. Just one click and you will have whole world in front of you. Now, what we want to know, what is beneficial for us depends on us!!!
The world has just started recovering from the deadly Covid-19 virus, even though it is a thing to be happy about, there are still sectors that are trying to rise including the entertainment industry (movie productions, theaters, film cities) from the hard hit by the pandemic.
What happened to the Cinema theaters of India?
India cinemas, with 6780 single screens and 2,100 multiplexes, is going through dark months amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic has resulted in the death of more than 40% of the single screens across the nation. Even though, the theaters nation-wide have implemented rules and regulations to minimize the danger by separated seats with 50% occupancy and encouraging digital payments. It would not be right to mention that the theater halls are full, as there are still large groups of people in the country who are hesitant to step inside cinema halls. Contrast to this, cinema lovers feel heartbroken to stare at empty cinema halls. It is predicted by many that most of the theater halls wouldn’t be able to survive the pandemic, in other words, many theaters will go missing when the pandemic comes to an end. This great fall of theaters has led many stars of the cinema industry to go for OTT release of their movies.
A cinema hall being sanitized
Rise of OTT Platforms in India
The fall of movie theater industry has led to the tremendous growth of Over The Top platforms in India. The situation has not only made top actors run behind OTT platforms but has also made cinema lovers to subscribe to OTT platforms craving for new releases. Hence making the whole movie watching experience easier and more comfortable. Just a click, would start a movie. Letting the audience themselves set the ambience for the movie watching experience at home. OTT platforms let the audience to control the volume and go back and forth in the movie, which makes the movie-watching experience being more ‘customized’. The year 2020 has seen a growth of OTT platforms by 60% followed by 20% growth in the first 4 months of 2021.In the year2020, the revenue from subscriptions for OTT platforms in India stands at 19 billion INR. “We are stuck” says Ekta Kapoor, a famous producer from the North Indian Television Industry. Producers have got no choice other than opting for an OTT release rather than releasing their movies in a half-filled screen. The business is favorable for the producer when the movie is streamed on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video or Hotstar, as the money is made with no prolonged worries. Although, top stars of the film industry are against the idea of streaming their movies on OTT Platforms they have to do it for the sake of the producer who invested crores on the project.
Major Over The Top Platforms of India
Amazon Firestick
Amazon Firestick, also known as Amazon Fire TV, is a famous Indian micro-console developed by Amazon. It is an USB-like device used to stream videos and movies via internet, connected to the HD television. The firestick includes a remote to access. With more than 50 million users currently, it was released in India on April 19, 2017. It was introduced with 1080p and 4k picture quality along with Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 Surround Sound System. Amazon firestick created huge waves in the OTT industry by making users get access to watch their favorite movies more comfortably. The major perk of this gadget is that it is an user-friendly device which means, it can be understood and used easily by any age group. This feature made Firestick make millions in the market. As more than 70% of the elders in the country spend most of their time on watching television shows, producing a user-friendly gadget like Firestick will tempt the costumers to buy the product as easier accessibility is the important feature most of the people look forward to. Amazon firestick includes YouTube, which covers the kids and teenagers. India is currently emerging as the fastest growing market for Amazon’s firestick. As most of the content on the platforms are in Hindi and other local languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada there is a stronger engagement in India than other countries. Now the next big step from the company is that Amazon Fire TV is looking forward to collaborate with local companies to have the system pre-built into televisions. This would let the audience to watch their favorite local channel shows on smart TV.
Addiction is just a way of trying to get at something else. Something bigger. Call it transcendence if you want, but it’s a rat in a maze. We all want the same thing. We all have this hole. The thing you want offers relief, but it’s a trap.
“ DRUGS ” A five letter word that is destroying human race. A word that could get you to the cloud nine and than kick you from the top.
What do you think it is ?
Is it a pleasure or a pain ?
Some says ‘it gives you wings ‘, others says ‘it makes you insane ‘ . What would you do , if someone is taking drugs ? Well , I would fly (its a joke ).
Ok , Let’s just get over with the topic .
Introduction
All the suffering, stress, and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn
Drugs are substances that change a person’s mental or physical state. They can affect the way your brain works, how you feel and behave, your understanding and your senses. This makes them unpredictable and dangerous, especially for young people.
Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease. It causes a person to take drugs repeatedly, despite the harm they cause. Repeated drug use can change the brain and lead to addiction. That can destroy one’s life .
Signs that shows someone has a drug problem
Changing friends a lot .
Spending a lot of time alone.
Losing interest in favorite things.
Not taking care of themselves – for example, not taking showers, changing clothes, or brushing their teeth.
Being really tired and sad.
Eating more or eating less than usual.
Being very energetic, talking fast, or saying things that don’t make sense.
Being in a bad mood.
Quickly changing between feeling bad and feeling good.
Sleeping at strange hours.
Missing important appointments.
Having problems at work or at school.
Having problems in personal or family relationships.
If a person shows these signs than he / she is using drugs . But it’s not , it’s a probability . The person may or may not be using drugs . For the assurance you have to ask the person (well they can lie ) . Take them for the blood test . It will show if the person is taking drugs or not . It’s a simple procedure .
Why can’t people stop using drugs on their own?
Repeated drug use changes the brain, including parts of the brain that give a person self-control. These and other changes can be seen clearly in brain imaging studies of people with a drug addiction. These brain changes explain why quitting is so difficult, even when an addicted person feels ready.
Many people are compelled to enter treatment by the pressure of their family, friends, or a court system. People of all ages with substance use disorders live in fear of what will happen if their drugs are taken away.
Due to the addiction , they experience a variety of physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders; restlessness, and sleeplessness . It may lead you to the death bed .
Treatment :
Counseling and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of treatment. Medications are often an important part of treatment, especially when combined with behavioral therapies. Treatment plans must be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Detoxification.
Treatment with Medication.
12-Step Facilitation.
One of the hardest things was learning that I was worth recovery.
Lucifer: love it or hate it but definitely don’t ignore it
When the devil tires of life in Hell, he materialises in the City of Angels, where he aids the LAPD in rounding up and punishing evildoers in this TV-adaptation of the comic book.
We are living in the Golden era of television. Since the year 2000, television has evolved dramatically. The rise of cable networks resulted in a period of more innovation, quality and quantity, which has since been surpassed by the arrival of streaming services. TV has become the primary source of entertainment for the majority of the population since the introduction of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max and Disney Plus. Previously the thought of a network airing a complete season on a single day was unthinkable. Episodes aired week after week, sometimes back to back, and so on – until streaming services showed their willingness to take a different path. With the knowledge that television is undergoing yet another revolution, and that the medium’s limits and definitions may alter yet again, it seems appropriate to reflect on the past.
With that said, let’s directly jump into the very best chapters of television the medium had to offer.
Note: I’ve considered only one episode per a TV show to make the list more diverse.
The Winds of Winter, Game of Thrones (Season 6, Episode 10)
IMDb Rating: 9.9
Written by: David Benioff, D. B. Weiss
Directed by: Miguel Sapochnik
Air date: June 26, 2016
This is an all-timer. This episode is Game of Thrones at its very best. It offers everything a fan wished for, a shocking yet satisfying end to one of the best seasons of the show.
International Assassin, The Leftovers (Season 2, Episode 8)
IMDb Rating: 9.6
Written by: Damon Lindelof, Nick Cuse
Directed by: Craig Zobel
Air date: November 22, 2015
International Assassin is the most polarizing episode of the most polarizing show, a stress test of an episode that pushes the show’s concept and expands its universe in ways that not everyone will appreciate and that makes it so special and unique.
Chicanery, Better Call Saul (Season 3, Episode 5)
IMDb Rating: 9.7
Written by: Gordon Smith
Directed by: Daniel Sackheim
Air date: May 8, 2017
A standout episode of the show as it stages a bittersweet showdown. This episode marks the climax of a seasons-long power play between Chuck and Jimmy. This episode is a relatively simple installment on a plot level. But it’s the character interactions, as well as the show’s willingness to bring out the worst in these characters and pit them against each other, that have us hooked. This is one of the defining TV episodes you’ll come across on television today.
407 Proxy Authentication Required, Mr. Robot (Season 4, Episode 7)
IMDb Rating: 9.9
Written by and Directed by: Sam Esmail
Air date: November 17, 2019
If there was ever an episode that defined a series, then this is the one. The episode that finally revealed the origin of the titular character. A riveting hour of television, you feel like the characters when you complete the episode, but you embrace every second of it because this is how good television should feel: thrilling, horrifying, and a little bit nauseating.
The Suitcase, Mad Men (Season 4, Episode 7)
IMDb Rating: 9.7
Written by: Matthew Weiner
Directed by: Jennifer Getzinger
Air date: September 5, 2010
The Suitcase says so much with so little, without a visual or narrative trick in sight. And in doing so, it defines a show and sets a high bar for the next decade of television, and most likely the next decade after that. The Suitcase is the one of the best episodes because it tells the show’s story in miniature: flawed, difficult, and damaged characters finding salvation in their job, though not enough to save them from themselves.
Start, The Americans (Season 6, Episode 10)
IMDb Rating: 9.8
Written by: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields
Directed by: Chris Long
Air date: May 30, 2018
Perhaps the most overlooked episode in the list. The series finale of The Americans is a subdued, sublime, and utterly tragic send-off to one of television’s best shows. It delivered a wondrous wallop that crackled with sadness and urgency. The episode is a fascinating flight full of heartbreaking decisions and unexpected swerves.
If-Then-Else, Person of Interest (Season 4, Episode 11)
IMDb Rating: 9.9
Written by: Denise Thé
Directed by: Chris Fisher
Air date: January 6, 2015
Person of Interest’s never-ending ability to deliver mind-blowing episodes is what makes it one of the best tv shows. And the episode If-Then-Else does exactly the same. Smart, action-filled chapter with a powerfully sad and meaningful conclusion. As the main plot of the show is about the relationship between humans and machine, this episode in particular dig deeper in to that. This episode is about what it means to be a machine, but it’s also about what it means to be human.
Final Grades, The Wire (Season 4, Episode 13)
IMDb Rating: 9.5
Written by: David Simon, Ed Burns
Directed by: Ernest Dickerson
Air date: December 10, 2006
The Wire’s fourth season came to a close with a mega-episode that alternated between periods of crushing despair and sparks of hope and optimism. Watching this episode was like putting down a fantastic book, one that had provided knowledge, excitement, a view into another world, and consistent brilliance with character development throughout the season.
ronny/lily, Barry (Season 2, Episode 5)
IMDb Rating: 9.8
Written by: Alec Berg, Bill Hader, Taofik Kolade
Directed by: Bill Hader
Air date: April 28, 2019
Perhaps the most recent episode on the list. It was released during the same weekend when Game of Thrones most awaited episode The Long Night and Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame came. But somehow this episode of Barry impressed me the most when it comes to action sequences and storytelling. The episode is an absolute knockout it’s suspenseful, surreal, and darkly hilarious.
Pine Barrens, The Sopranos (Season 3, Episode 11)
IMDb Rating: 9.7
Written by: Tim Van Patten, Terence Winter
Directed by: Steve Buscemi
Air date: May 6, 2001
The oldest episode on the list but the one that defined television forever. A distinctly self-contained short story. The episode is a classic example of the show’s unpredictability and surprisingly humorous tone. It’s basically a cross between an anti-buddy comedy and a nightmare; it’s funny, absurd, and horrifying all at the same time.
The View From Halfway Down, BoJack Horseman (Season 6, Episode 15)
IMDb Rating: 9.9
Written by: Alison Tafel
Directed by: Amy Winfrey
Air date: January 31, 2020
The only animated episode in the list. The episode is a depressing perspective on the inevitability of death. Although this is an adult cartoon, one of the things that make it wonderful is that the writers put a lot of effort into crafting strong writing and a great tale that does credit to all of the characters and the result can be seen in this episode.
Ozymandias, Breaking Bad (Season 5, Episode 14)
IMDb Rating: 10
Written by: Moira Walley-Beckett
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Air date: September 15, 2013
Do you ever watch something where you are so emotionally invested by the characters, setting and story that when it’s over, you can’t help but sit and contemplate what you just watched? Exactly felt the same after watching this episode. Ozymandias is perhaps the most gut-wrenching, twisted, horrific, well-planned episode ever made. This episode is Breaking Bad storytelling at its finest. It’s completely flawless. Not surprising that it is the highest-rated episode in the history of television.
The imposition of lockdown on account of the COVID 19 pandemic marked a major retard in the growth of many leading industrial giants. Unlike the rest, OTT is one among the few industries which marked an exponential growth since its inception. Though the OTT platforms are not a fresh face in the entertainment industry, the burgeoning of the sector was a never expected one until lockdown happened. Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney Hotstar are the few OTT platforms which benefited from the imposition of lockdown.
The television broadcasting companies failed to meet the demands of its viewers and was forced to rerun existing contents as the production industry was under a halt. The average screen time has simultaneously increased which resulted in people searching for fresh contents. The video on demand services gained popularity over the masses as it provided the flexibility to watch contents on our likes at our wish. In addition to this, these platforms released their fresh as well as original contents consistently and managed to maintain the initial consumer interest. These conveniences dragged the viewers towards OTT services and generated a buzz by increasing the traffic into these platforms even during the pandemic times. While the theatres and multiplexes remained closed for many months, film producers noticed the scope of the OTT industry and made an audacious move by releasing their films digitally for the first time to cater to a wider set of audience.
It is estimated that an average person spends around 40% of their waking hours in front of a screen which makes almost seven hours a day. The OTT platforms have added a whopping 3-4 million subscribers to their existing viewership. This figure also included people viewing more non-broadcast content on platforms like YouTube and gaming sites. Just like how television revolutionised the early 90’s, OTT is bringing a new wave of change to the entertainment industry. These changes are always for the better and are inevitable.
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