New Netflix Feature Fixes the Worst Part of Binge-Watching Shows

Courtesy of Netflix
Courtesy of Netflix

One of the best parts of diving into a new season of House of Cards is sitting through the dark and gritty time-lapse of Washington D.C. in the opening credits -- it just adds to the anticipation. But after watching two or three episodes in a row, the minute and a half-long sequence is nothing but annoying. Thankfully, Netflix has come up with a long overdue fix: a new button that lets you skip the opening credits of several shows.

As a report by The Verge explains, Netflix is currently testing a new "skip intro" button that lets you instantly skip the opening credits of some popular shows including Mad Men and The Office as well as Netflix originals like Iron Fist, and yes, House of Cards. It even works on episodes that start with a cold open scene. In other words, spending your day watching Frank Underwood's treacherous schemes unfold just got a little easier. 

The "skip intro" button appears above the playback controls during the introduction sequence. However, as the The Verge report points out, the new feature has only been spotted on web browser versions of Netflix so far, and a wider release on other platforms (Netflix apps, for example) would likely require software updates. How many users have the new button and whether it'll stick around for good are also unclear at this point. With any luck, everyone will have it in time for the next season of Orange Is the New Black in early June. That song is just way too catchy.

In the meantime, continue having fun attempting to skip over the intros with your remote. 

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Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist and actually kind of enjoys the House of Cards opening credits. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.