Catching up on one’s favorite shows and movies became easier with Netflix, a streaming service founded in 2007, but this convenience has been interrupted by the removal of various content.

“The Vampire Diaries,” a series taken off Netflix on September 3, resulted in an array of reactions.

 “ ‘The Vampire Diaries’ got taken off September 3, that’s my comfort show, so I always just have that on in the background, […] or if I’m not going out or doing anything,” said junior Samantha B.

Netflix, being a streaming service without ads, makes it possible to keep shows running throughout the day, whether the viewer is laying in bed or sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. 

“I was kind of mad that ‘The Vampire Diaries’ was taken off [Netflix] because they only have it on HBO Max, but you have to pay for that,” said Samantha B.

With all of the different streaming services available, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video, it becomes nearly impossible to access every series or movie with just one streaming service. Viewers, such as Barber, are forced to give up their go-tos, or in this case, their comfort shows.

“The Notebook” was another film on Netflix that was removed on October 31. The only place the movie can be found for free is Tubi. With differences in resolution compared to Netflix, streaming on Tubi can decrease the video quality.

“[‘The Notebook’] is [a] movie that [my mom and I] watch together, something that we’ve always watched together. Every now and then when we can’t find a movie to watch we’ll just put that on,” said Samantha B.

Netflix’s subscribers can build attachments and make memories through these movies. It’s another part of the significance in losing certain content from Netflix.

“Now I have to move to other streaming services or even pay for [‘The Notebook’] that I love to watch. Netflix is already charging so much, now they’re taking off my favorite movie of all time,” said junior Nick W. 

The added fees when accessing multiple streaming services are hard to keep up with. When something is removed from Netflix, the necessity to pay for another streaming service is unrealistic with the high subscription costs. 

Other than losing the ability to watch one’s favorites, whether that be a show or a movie, it’s possible it gets removed before one has finished it. There would be no way of knowing where one left off, meaning what episode or time it was at.

“ ‘Gossip Girl’ was removed while I wasn’t finished with it. I wanted to see the ending of the show and I never got to see the ending,” said junior Gianna G.

These various removals can change viewers’ opinions on the streaming service Netflix. The hope is that anyone who has a show or movie taken out of their reach is able to find it on another streaming service they have access to. 🔳

Editor’s note: ‘Just Watch’ is a free service where users can search to see where a movie or series is streaming. According to justwatch.com, “we also allow users to track their favorite shows and movies, and can notify you when a title is available on one of your services.”