VIDEO: Narcos finale shows limitations and possibilities of the TV

In addition to offering a fecund breeding ground for longform storytelling, one of the distinct advantages television has over film is the chance for course correction.

As the latter episodes of most seasons are still being produced while the series airs, the notion of readjustment can sometimes become a valuable option.

And yet that is something Netflix’s all-at-once model does not allow for, as it requires an entire season to be in the can before a single episode reaches the hungry eyes of the streaming service’s many subscribers.

Interestingly enough, this is the samemodel used by HBO, even though it still schedules its seasons to air over the course of eight to ten weeks.