Sometimes they do. Dickens and Tolstoy wrote and published serially. So do an awful lot of fanfic writers in the present day.

Serial writing used to be a big thing, and even today there's a reason for the popularity of fanfics and webnovels. Hell, remember Homestuck?

True. But then reading is probably a more self-limiting format than film/tv. At least for most people.

Okay and what's wrong with seeking engagement with whatever they're making (which every person who makes anything does) and trying to ensure continued subscription, which makes sense given the business? I agree that streaming has generally become ridiculous and diluted, but there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting people to watch stuff and attempting to ensure a steady revenue stream to do it.