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There was once a time long, long ago when you didn’t have many options when you were in the mood to watch a particular show.
If you didn’t feel like shelling out far too much money for a boxset of your favorite series, you were largely at the mercy of cable and had to endlessly flip through the channels on the off chance you’d stumble upon what you were looking for, but even if you did, you had to settle for whatever episode was airing at the time.
Everything changed when Netflix turned the game on its head by ushering in the streaming era and gave you the power to watch virtually whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. However, this new gluttony of choice didn’t come without its downsides.
While Netflix’s catalog has shrunk in recent years, there’s still an overwhelming amount of content to sift through and it feels like there are some days where I spend more time browsing through the options trying to find a movie or show to put on than I do actually watching something.
If you’re like me, you have a few go-to shows you turn to when you don’t feel like wasting your life scrolling through the oddly specific categories Netflix has to offer. However, deciding on a program is only half the battle.
I’m personally partial to The Office and Parks and Recreation when I feel like passively watching something. Unfortunately, there are more than 300 episodes to choose from between the two, which can make it difficult to decide on a particular one.
Thankfully, according to Deadline, Netflix has finally set out to make your life a little bit easier by introducing a brand new feature people have been begging for: shuffle play.
While only some viewers have access to the beta test that was recently rolled out, a number of people who use the Android app to get their Netflix fix have discovered there’s a button that allows them to watch a random episode once the end credits roll.
Netflix
Not every show gives you this choice, but as of now, fans of The Office, New Girl, and Arrested Development (among others) have the chance to put the power in Netflix’s hands.
All I can say is it’s about damn time.