Netflix’s near-perfect western adaptation remains one of the biggest shows on streaming right now. Netflix just added a lot of great shows to its streaming library. The original paranormal thriller, Below, recently dropped and is already taking over the streamer. Then there’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which was recently added to Netflix for a limited time, along with Taylor Sheridan’s Mayor of Kingstown, and Season 2 of The Gentlemen, all of which are in the top 10. But it’s Netflix’s star-studded and incredibly dark western thriller that can’t stop winning on streaming right now. In its second week on Netflix, East of Eden is still raking in viewers by the millions. TUDUM’s weekly streaming figures have just dropped, and East of Eden is still one of the biggest shows on streaming. Below, starring Josh Hartnett, has stolen the top spot in its first week on the platform. But East of Eden is still putting up a strong fight as the second most popular series on Netflix this week. The new adaptation of John Steinbeck’s masterpiece earned 12.6 million views over the past seven days. That’s impressive for a debut, but it’s jaw-dropping for a second week. Within those 12.6 million views, East of Eden was watched for a total of 87.7 million hours. That’s 100 centuries’ worth of watch time!
‘East of Eden’ Is a 9/10 Western Adaptation

No adaptation of a novel will probably ever be 100% faithful, but East of Eden comes pretty close, while also expanding on some parts of the book. Florence Pugh leads the show as Cathy (probably the biggest change from the novel), who is put in the spotlight in Netflix’s series. Set across multiple decades, the show follows Cathy’s journey from a farmer’s daughter to one of the wealthiest women in her town, and the complex relationships she intertwined with the Trask family to get there. The novel is very much a retelling of the Cain and Abel story. But Netflix’s version blends that with Cathy’s antihero journey to survive. East of Eden also stars Mike Faist, Christopher Abbott, Ciaran Hinds, Martha Plimpton, and Hoon Lee. As well as earning millions of views, East of Eden also scored rave reviews and reactions from audiences. The series holds an 87% Rotten Tomatoes rating, with a similarly strong 85% audience score.
‘East of Eden’ Isn’t a Second Screen Show

Netflix

It’s sad times we live in when the creator of a show has to ask viewers not to watch the series while also doom-scrolling on their phones… but here we are. Unlike most of Netflix’s recent original shows, East of Eden wasn’t produced to be second-screen content. The characters don’t blindly repeat their motives or recount what’s happening so people on their phones can keep up. It was made to be watched. That’s not just our take on it; the show’s creator, Zoe Kazan, said so herself. Speaking at a premiere screening of the show (via TikTok), Kazan said, “I know that we made this for the small screen, but please, please, please dear god, when you go home do not watch the rest of this on your phone, or on your Apple Watch.” She continued:
“Please, please, even if you don’t have a TV or a laptop, go to a friend’s house who has a TV or laptop. We did not make this for a tiny screen. Please, please, we did not test this for second-screen viewing. This is not a thing that you’re going to love if you’re also looking at your phone while you watch this.”

Release Date

2026 – 2026-00-00

Network

Netflix

Directors

Garth Davis