Since the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly clear that shows are taking longer to be made, and due to this, there are many issues found with modern-day TV viewing. One big issue is continuity, especially with characters. It has become hard to tell how old characters are supposed to be when so much time has occurred between seasons. Issues like this are creating a dip in viewership, ultimately leading to what used to be some of our favorite Netflix originals getting cancelled.
These three shows are great examples of continuity issues from elapsed time during filming…
- Stranger Things – Netflix
Stranger Things is on its fifth and final season, and in my opinion, the show was kind of ruined for me. Due to the immense amount of time between seasons, the ages of some of the characters have become unclear. What should be high school teenagers now look like they are in their 20s because in real life they are, and to me, that kind of just ruins the story aspect of these teenagers fighting supernatural creatures. Now, the story wouldn’t be the same with a character recast. The actors do a great job at what they do, and it has caused Stranger Things to be one of the most-watched shows on Netflix.
- Euphoria – HBO
Euphoria, which is currently in production of season three on HBO Max, has been known to have gaps between seasons, with season one releasing in 2019 and season two releasing in 2022. Season three is set to release in Spring 2026. Like “Stranger Things”, Euphoria is supposed to follow high school-aged teenagers through life, and figure out who they are. I see continuity as a big issue here again, such as age in actors like Zendaya, who plays one of the main characters, Rue. Rue is supposed to be 17 years old in the show. Zendaya herself is 29 years old. This gives her character a more mature look, and it causes 17-year-old Rue to not look 17 at all. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Euphoria, but this is something that we need to look at for continuity aspects of shows. Characters of a certain age should be played by someone of that age. I am not a big fan of recasting because that honestly ruins the show more by changing the actor who is playing that character, but I am a big believer that sometimes there is a reason for shows to end and not be dragged on for continuity’s sake.
- Ginny and Georgia – Netflix
Now, this one isn’t too bad, and the only problem I can see is with Austin, who is played by Diesel La Torraca. He is supposed to be nine years old in the show, but Diesel is 14 in real life. So, his character, who is supposed to be in third or fourth grade, looks like he is in middle school in the recent third season. Diesel’s appearance causes Austin to look older than he is in the show. It just ruins the storyline because seasons two and three are supposed to take place in the same year. Due to Diesel La Torraca’s growth since previous seasons, it makes it seem as if some years have passed, even though it is only supposed to be a month or two after we left off in season two.
A big cause of these continuity issues has stemmed from COVID-19 and the length it takes to create shows due to the recent writers’ strikes, as well as how long producers have to pitch to get money from studios. Paired with scheduling conflicts with actors, these issues are more prevalent.
For more articles and content you want me to cover feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @eidanwexlermedia.
