After seven weeks, the entire first season of Stephen King’s new sci-fi series is now available to watch in a binge format. With the author still churning out exciting new novels in horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and thriller genres, there’s been no shortage of Stephen King books to adapt.
It almost feels like a new age of Stephen King TV domination, with two major shows based on his works releasing in 2025 and more on the way after. The new takes on his books on TV are also rivaling the excitement of this year’s big movie adaptations, such as The Running Man remake and The Long Walk.
While the next Stephen King TV show will be another outing with a weekly episode release model, his most recent series is now able to binge-watch after finishing its first season. If you were waiting to watch until all season 1 episodes were out, you can finally take this week or even this weekend to get through the King-inspired and produced sci-fi series.
All 8 Episodes Of Stephen King’s The Institute Season 1 Are Now Streaming On MGM+
After debuting on July 13, The Institute season 1’s ending finally arrived on Sunday, August 24. All eight episodes are now available to stream with a subscription to MGM+, which is also the host to compelling horror TV shows like From or Chapelwaite (another Stephen King adaptation).
Based on Stephen King’s 2019 sci-fi book of the same name, The Institute‘s main character is teenager Luke Ellis, who discovers he has psychic powers upon being abducted by the mysterious titular organization. Held against his will, experimented on, and tortured, Luke and his fellow imprisoned psychic kids are exploited and abused for their powers under the oversight of Ms. Sigsby. Meanwhile, ex-cop and new “night knocker” Tim Jamieson seeks to uncover the Institute’s dark secrets.
The Institute season 1 ultimately became a streaming success for MGM+ and received promising reviews, currently holding a 63% score from critics and 71% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Due to the series’ strong inaugural performance, The Institute season 2 was officially renewed ahead of the season 1 finale. After binge-watching season 1, it’s relieving to know more is coming in regards to Luke’s battle against the Institute.
The Institute Will Be The First Multiseason Stephen King Show In 6 Years
Now that The Institute is returning for season 2, it has become the first Stephen King show since 2019 to receive multiple seasons. The last time that happened was Mr. Mercedes, another Jack Bender-directed Stephen King adaptation, which ran for three seasons between 2017 and 2019. Since then, every King TV show has either been a miniseries or a one-season production.
The Institute officially breaks that streak, which will also likely be followed by HBO’s upcoming Stephen King series IT: Welcome to Derry. While the October-debuting horror show currently only has a one-season order, the creative team has noted a three-season plan for IT: Welcome to Derry if the first installment of episodes is deemed a success.
The Institute
8/10
- Release Date
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July 13, 2025
- Directors
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Jack Bender
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Mary-Louise Parker
Ms. Sigsby
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