Well that didn’t last long. Despite mass viewership around the globe, not even a week after launch, Avatar: The Last Airbender has lots its #1 spot on Netflix’s Top 10 list, at least in the US, where another popular show has surged above it.
I am…not terribly shocked about this, given that the show in question is Love is Blind, Netflix’s Bachelor-fighting reality series that has becoming one of the most popular dating series in the country, if not the most. Netflix debuts its episodes in batches, unlike its scripted series, and this week brought new episodes where viewers got to see which couples are still making it through the process. There will be two more drops, one on March 6 and a reunion on March 13, as Netflix has learned to drag this out as long as possible, breaking its “binge” rule for reality series they don’t want to spoil all in one day. The closest they come to this with scripted series is mid-season breaks as we’ve seen with many of its most popular shows now.
I do not fear for the future of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Despite this displacement, the show has performed phenomenally well around the world, racking up 21 million viewers in its opening weekend, higher than even One Piece, which was quickly renewed for a second season. I have no doubt at all that Avatar will not only get a second season, but also a third to finish out the source material.
