As 2025 draws to a close, the final weekend of the year brought with it a wide array of streaming premieres and television episodes, giving U.S. audiences plenty to choose from during the extended holiday break. From high-profile thrillers to long-awaited sci-fi episodes and dramatic serials, the weekend’s entertainment lineup offered a compelling mix for viewers across all preferences.
Leading the weekend’s new releases was The Copenhagen Test, a Peacock original series starring Simu Liu. Premiering in full on December 27, the eight-episode spy thriller dropped just in time for a binge-watching session over the long holiday weekend. Liu, known for his breakout role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, takes on a darker, more cerebral role in this series, portraying a character whose mind is hacked during a covert mission. The show combines psychological tension with action and high-stakes espionage, drawing early comparisons to genre hits like Homeland and Mr. Robot. Alongside Liu, the cast includes Melissa Barrera, and the series has been praised for its moody cinematography and layered storytelling.
Meanwhile, Netflix continued its staggered rollout of the final season of Stranger Things. Season 5: Volume 2 saw several episodes released over the Christmas weekend, with more slated to arrive before the New Year. As the show approaches its much-anticipated conclusion, longtime fans are glued to their screens, eager to witness how the saga of Eleven, the Upside Down, and Hawkins, Indiana comes to a close. The show’s emotional arcs and high-concept visuals have helped it retain cultural dominance since its 2016 debut, and the latest episodes are delivering the kind of cinematic payoff that fans have waited years to see.
In addition to these headline releases, other platforms released fresh content to round out the viewing experience. Paramount+ premiered Episode 7 of Landman Season 2, continuing the saga of energy-sector drama set against the backdrop of oil country America. The show has built a dedicated fanbase with its mix of gritty realism, corporate intrigue, and character-driven storytelling. As the season edges closer to its finale in January, each new episode continues to build narrative momentum.
Apple TV+ and Hulu also offered a mix of season finales and new episodes, giving viewers options ranging from comedy to science fiction. Apple’s prestige dramas continued to deliver slow-burn storytelling with strong performances, while Hulu dropped a pair of mid-season premieres that gained traction on social media thanks to surprise twists and standout guest stars.
Holiday-themed programming remained a draw as well, with platforms repackaging seasonal favorites and adding curated collections of festive films and comfort-viewing series. Disney+ re-released animated classics alongside newer family-friendly specials, while HBO Max leaned into cinematic marathons, including popular fantasy and action franchises. These offerings helped families and casual viewers alike find familiar, low-pressure viewing options suitable for a cozy evening in.
This weekend’s variety reflects broader shifts in how audiences consume content during high-traffic periods. With viewers increasingly opting for on-demand convenience and multi-episode formats, streaming services have adapted by timing their biggest releases to coincide with long weekends and holiday lulls. The result is a landscape where a weekend in late December becomes a battleground for attention between high-concept dramas, legacy franchises, and buzzy originals.
As streaming platforms prepare to unveil their January slates and promote new 2026 projects, this final weekend of 2025 serves as a showcase of how far digital entertainment has come. From the binge-ready structure of The Copenhagen Test to the episodic tension of Stranger Things and the serialized drama of Landman, these titles exemplify the range and depth of content now available to audiences at home.
Looking ahead, early 2026 is expected to bring a wave of reboots, new adaptations, and high-budget limited series, with networks banking on proven IPs and international partnerships to expand their reach. But for this weekend, viewers had plenty of high-quality content to savor, whether they were looking for suspenseful thrillers, emotional goodbyes, or lighthearted holiday entertainment.
