Netflix, the world's most popular paid streaming service, has reportedly been hard at work trying to figure out why subscribers keep abandoning its shows after the first season. Among the head-scratchers: Beef, an anthology about feuds, lost 70 percent of its viewership when it returned this year. The Verge helpfully points out that the answers are fairly obvious, but who needs obvious when you can pay consultants?

Some of Netflix's problems are self-inflicted, like canceling shows just as they get expensive, or taking so long between seasons that viewers forget they ever cared. Then there's the small matter of TikTok and YouTube, both free and both now competing with Netflix for adult attention spans. Netflix has responded by diving into games, live sports, and video podcasts, plus plans for short-form content to fill those spare moments. Because nothing says "premium streaming" like content you'd watch on the toilet.

Netflix also has to grapple with its own creation: the binge model. The platform trained audiences to devour a show in a weekend and then forget it exists, making long-term engagement as rare as a third season. Weekly releases have helped, but it's a bit like trying to close the barn door after the horse has galloped off to TikTok.

And let's not forget the simplest explanation: sometimes shows just aren't good. Stranger Things got unwieldy, and Avatar: The Last Airbender's live-action remake limped out of the gate to the dismay of fans. The solution is obvious: make better shows and actually stick with them. But that takes time, patience, and money, which doesn't exactly get stockholders salivating. Still, it's the only way Netflix can hope to keep other platforms from eating its lunch.