Sep. 27, 2023, marked the official end of the Writers Guild of America, or WGA, strike. Since May 2 of this year, over 11,000 writers have been protesting against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a group that protects some of the major production companies and streaming services such as Paramount and Netflix. Throughout these past few months, writers demanded mandatory staffing of screenwriters, making it less likely for artificial intelligence to replace them. Now more than ever, it seems we’re a step closer to getting some new material to watch.

But if only it were that simple.

A typical season of a TV show would begin filming six to seven weeks before the release date and could premiere anywhere between August and April. Because of the continuous negotiations of the strike by the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, better known as SAG-AFTRA, this time period is going to be extended. This is where the dilemma begins. 

Talk shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” will take half the time to get up and running compared to scripted television shows, such as “Stranger Things”. This is not only due to the length of time script writing takes, but also the time it takes to complete casting for future seasons; a problem “The Last of Us” experienced before this strike began. 

Though WGA’s reasoning for going on strike is valid, the strike stopped many companies from producing fan-favorite shows. While this doesn’t entirely hurt some big-name streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Hulu, it hurts the very people watching ⎼ the fans.

At first glance, this may seem ridiculous to worry about; however, these shows and movies are small escapes from reality for many people, especially teens. Many teens find needed comfort and relatability in the characters on screen, ultimately allowing them to open up about some of their struggles, specifically those regarding mental health.

University of California, Los Angeles’ Center for Scholars and Storytellers conducted a study in which teens watched the show 13 Reasons Why to see how it affected them. Reports showed that 62 out of the 68 teens plunged deeper into the topic of their mental health and were even more likely to talk to their friends, parents and other viewers over social media about their battles.

Shows such as this give teens a way to cope with the struggles they are keeping hidden from others. Due to the protest, teens are momentarily forced to find a new way to escape from their reality, with some resorting to unhealthy habits like drugs or alcohol. 

As the sting of WGA’s strike fades and people begin to question when the end of SAG-AFTRA’s protest will be, many ask themselves when they will see their favorite characters back on screen. How long will we have to wait to have our escape back? And if negotiations don’t go the way SAG-AFTRA and WGA hope, just how long until the writers put down their pens again?