diff --git a/src/components/home/CatalogSection.tsx b/src/components/home/CatalogSection.tsx
index 70606c51..6bd96683 100644
--- a/src/components/home/CatalogSection.tsx
+++ b/src/components/home/CatalogSection.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { LinearGradient } from 'expo-linear-gradient';
 import { CatalogContent, StreamingContent } from '../../services/catalogService';
 import { useTheme } from '../../contexts/ThemeContext';
 import ContentItem from './ContentItem';
+import Animated, { FadeIn } from 'react-native-reanimated';
 import { RootStackParamList } from '../../navigation/AppNavigator';
 
 interface CatalogSectionProps {
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ const CatalogSection = ({ catalog }: CatalogSectionProps) => {
   const keyExtractor = useCallback((item: StreamingContent) => `${item.id}-${item.type}`, []);
 
   return (
-    <View style={styles.catalogContainer}>
+    <Animated.View style={styles.catalogContainer} entering={FadeIn.duration(350)}>
       <View style={styles.catalogHeader}>
         <View style={styles.titleContainer}>
           <Text style={[styles.catalogTitle, { color: currentTheme.colors.text }]} numberOfLines={1}>{catalog.name}</Text>
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ const CatalogSection = ({ catalog }: CatalogSectionProps) => {
         onEndReached={() => {}}
         scrollEventThrottle={16}
       />
-    </View>
+    </Animated.View>
   );
 };
 
diff --git a/src/components/home/ContinueWatchingSection.tsx b/src/components/home/ContinueWatchingSection.tsx
index 76433535..a4092161 100644
--- a/src/components/home/ContinueWatchingSection.tsx
+++ b/src/components/home/ContinueWatchingSection.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
   ActivityIndicator
 } from 'react-native';
 import { FlashList } from '@shopify/flash-list';
-import Animated from 'react-native-reanimated';
+import Animated, { FadeIn } from 'react-native-reanimated';
 import { useNavigation } from '@react-navigation/native';
 import { NavigationProp } from '@react-navigation/native';
 import { RootStackParamList } from '../../navigation/AppNavigator';
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ const ContinueWatchingSection = React.forwardRef<ContinueWatchingRef>((props, re
   }
 
   return (
-    <View style={styles.container}>
+    <Animated.View style={styles.container} entering={FadeIn.duration(350)}>
       <View style={styles.header}>
         <View style={styles.titleContainer}>
           <Text style={[styles.title, { color: currentTheme.colors.text }]}>Continue Watching</Text>
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ const ContinueWatchingSection = React.forwardRef<ContinueWatchingRef>((props, re
         onEndReachedThreshold={0.7}
         onEndReached={() => {}}
       />
-    </View>
+    </Animated.View>
   );
 });
 
diff --git a/src/components/home/ThisWeekSection.tsx b/src/components/home/ThisWeekSection.tsx
index d5b62415..2f7f619a 100644
--- a/src/components/home/ThisWeekSection.tsx
+++ b/src/components/home/ThisWeekSection.tsx
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { tmdbService } from '../../services/tmdbService';
 import { useLibrary } from '../../hooks/useLibrary';
 import { RootStackParamList } from '../../navigation/AppNavigator';
 import { parseISO, isThisWeek, format, isAfter, isBefore } from 'date-fns';
-import Animated from 'react-native-reanimated';
+import Animated, { FadeIn } from 'react-native-reanimated';
 import { useCalendarData } from '../../hooks/useCalendarData';
 
 const { width } = Dimensions.get('window');
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ export const ThisWeekSection = React.memo(() => {
   };
   
   return (
-    <View style={styles.container}>
+    <Animated.View style={styles.container} entering={FadeIn.duration(350)}>
       <View style={styles.header}>
         <View style={styles.titleContainer}>
         <Text style={[styles.title, { color: currentTheme.colors.text }]}>This Week</Text>
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ export const ThisWeekSection = React.memo(() => {
         snapToAlignment="start"
         ItemSeparatorComponent={() => <View style={{ width: 16 }} />}
       />
-    </View>
+    </Animated.View>
   );
 });
 
diff --git a/src/components/metadata/SeriesContent.tsx b/src/components/metadata/SeriesContent.tsx
index 6d0137b0..0858441e 100644
--- a/src/components/metadata/SeriesContent.tsx
+++ b/src/components/metadata/SeriesContent.tsx
@@ -654,7 +654,6 @@ export const SeriesContent: React.FC<SeriesContentProps> = ({
               data={currentSeasonEpisodes}
               renderItem={({ item: episode, index }) => (
                 <Animated.View
-                  key={episode.id}
                   entering={FadeIn.duration(300).delay(100 + index * 30)}
                   style={[
                     styles.episodeCardWrapperHorizontal,
@@ -668,6 +667,14 @@ export const SeriesContent: React.FC<SeriesContentProps> = ({
               horizontal
               showsHorizontalScrollIndicator={false}
               contentContainerStyle={isTablet ? styles.episodeListContentHorizontalTablet : styles.episodeListContentHorizontal}
+              estimatedItemSize={(isTablet ? width * 0.4 : width * 0.75) + (isTablet ? 20 : 16)}
+              overrideItemLayout={(layout, _item, _index) => {
+                const cardWidth = isTablet ? width * 0.4 : width * 0.75;
+                const margin = isTablet ? 20 : 16;
+                layout.size = cardWidth + margin;
+                layout.span = 1;
+              }}
+              removeClippedSubviews
             />
           ) : (
             // Vertical Layout (Traditional)
@@ -676,7 +683,6 @@ export const SeriesContent: React.FC<SeriesContentProps> = ({
               data={currentSeasonEpisodes}
               renderItem={({ item: episode, index }) => (
                 <Animated.View 
-                  key={episode.id}
                   entering={FadeIn.duration(300).delay(100 + index * 30)}
                 >
                   {renderVerticalEpisodeCard(episode)}
@@ -684,6 +690,14 @@ export const SeriesContent: React.FC<SeriesContentProps> = ({
               )}
               keyExtractor={episode => episode.id.toString()}
               contentContainerStyle={isTablet ? styles.episodeListContentVerticalTablet : styles.episodeListContentVertical}
+              estimatedItemSize={isTablet ? 160 + 16 : 120 + 16}
+              overrideItemLayout={(layout, _item, _index) => {
+                // height along main axis for vertical list
+                const itemHeight = (isTablet ? 160 : 120) + 16; // card height + marginBottom
+                layout.size = itemHeight;
+                layout.span = 1;
+              }}
+              removeClippedSubviews
             />
           )
         )}
diff --git a/src/screens/HomeScreen.tsx b/src/screens/HomeScreen.tsx
index 9861a4b3..81c9736a 100644
--- a/src/screens/HomeScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/HomeScreen.tsx
@@ -621,19 +621,22 @@ const HomeScreen = () => {
   const memoizedThisWeekSection = useMemo(() => <ThisWeekSection />, []);
   const memoizedContinueWatchingSection = useMemo(() => <ContinueWatchingSection ref={continueWatchingRef} />, []);
 
-  const renderListItem = useCallback(({ item }: { item: HomeScreenListItem }) => {
+  const renderListItem = useCallback(({ item, index }: { item: HomeScreenListItem, index: number }) => {
+    const wrapper = (child: React.ReactNode) => (
+      <Animated.View entering={FadeIn.duration(350).delay(Math.min(index * 70, 700))}>
+        {child}
+      </Animated.View>
+    );
     switch (item.type) {
       // featured is rendered via ListHeaderComponent to avoid remounts
       case 'thisWeek':
-        return memoizedThisWeekSection;
+        return wrapper(memoizedThisWeekSection);
       case 'continueWatching':
-        return memoizedContinueWatchingSection;
+        return wrapper(memoizedContinueWatchingSection);
       case 'catalog':
-        return (
-          <CatalogSection catalog={item.catalog} />
-        );
+        return wrapper(<CatalogSection catalog={item.catalog} />);
       case 'placeholder':
-        return (
+        return wrapper(
           <View style={styles.catalogPlaceholder}>
             <View style={styles.placeholderHeader}>
               <View style={[styles.placeholderTitle, { backgroundColor: currentTheme.colors.elevation1 }]} />
@@ -669,7 +672,7 @@ const HomeScreen = () => {
           </Animated.View>
         );
       case 'welcome':
-        return <FirstTimeWelcome />;
+        return wrapper(<FirstTimeWelcome />);
       default:
         return null;
     }