‘Carrie’ and ‘Crystal Lake’ Deserved a Month of Conversation, Not a Weekend Binge

One of the things I miss most about being a teenage horror fan is the communal aspect. Picking out movies with friends, finding something to show someone who hadn’t seen it, shocking them, or getting them excited about the genre. But mostly, I miss hanging out afterward and talking about stupid shit. Is Evil Dead II a remake? How the fuck did Jason survive the lake? You don’t appreciate those conversations until you get older; everyone has families, and finding time together becomes a project.

That’s still where my excitement comes from after 25 years of covering horror. When we talk about Obsession constantly, it’s because we fucking love it. That enthusiasm didn’t start when it became successful. I’ve spent my career supporting movies I believe in, from Paranormal Activity and Saw to Terrifier. At Dread Central, you’re reading actual fans putting care and passion into this stuff. We want to help people discover something they’ll love and then talk about it with them.

In fact, I’m writing this on my notepad while sitting on a stationary bike at the gym. This should be my time of sanctuary. Instead, I’m thinking about Prime Video dumping all eight episodes of Carrie, followed barely a week later by Peacock dumping all eight episodes of Crystal Lake. And yes, I’m deliberately using the word “dumping.”

There are two things bothering me: what this does to a show’s opportunity to grow, and what it takes away from the community.

It already sucks falling in love with a series and wondering whether you’ll ever get more. In our interview about Crystal Lake’s future, Brad Caleb Kane explained that he designed the season to feel complete if Peacock doesn’t order another. I understand why he did that. But I’m so tired of hearing creators explain how they’ve prepared for their show to be canceled. Isn’t that indicative of modern television?

I don’t know what happened in the room when these release decisions were made. Was it an algorithm? A marketing calculation? Not enough resources to support four weeks of publicity? I find myself wondering whether there was a lack of confidence, even though the release schedule alone can’t tell us that. It makes me nervous about getting another season of either show.