We all know Netflix. We all love it for giving us series that we have learned to love and that have become cultural icons (Squid Game, Stranger Things), for unexpected surprises (My Plush Reindeer, Adolescence), and even for introducing us to masterpieces like BoJack Horseman. However, if there is one thing the platform is known for, it is… Well, for fearlessly canceling absolutely everything that comes their way.
Since Marco Polo, its first major production, which lasted only two seasons, Netflix has let go of true wonders without giving them a proper conclusion. And yes, I warn you: this list is going to hurt because we all remember the treacherous stab we felt when they decided that our favorite show was no longer going to exist. Let’s go with the 8 series that Netflix canceled most unjustly! I promise not to cry while I write this.
GLOW
How dare they. The series was supposed to conclude with the fourth season, which they were already filming, and Netflix decided to cut it off in the middle of the recording, during the pandemic. They managed to film an episode and a half that will never see the light of day, leaving our favorite fighters in an eternal cliffhanger. Although the streamer promised us that a movie would be released to wrap up the storylines, at this point we can forget about it. Sigh.
Mindhunter
Imagine for a moment that you have David Fincher on staff, making the series he always wanted to make. The critics are at his feet, the audience wants more, and then you decide it simply doesn’t matter. That’s what happened with Mindhunter, which after two seasons went down the drain. Although the last time we saw it was in 2019, Netflix assures that they will revive it at any moment and that it is not canceled, but simply delayed. A piece of advice: forget about it.
Inside job
In its day, Netflix hired Alex Hirsch, the creator of Gravity Falls, to create content for the platform. The truth is that to this day we are still waiting. The closest has been this Inside Job in which he wrote and was executive producer, handing over the showrunner duties to Shion Takeuchi. The series gained momentum episode by episode, expanding the lore and showing that adult humor (and even edgy) can be done without being embarrassing or crossing the line. It lasted only one season divided into two parts and ended on a cliffhanger. Bravo.
This shit is too much for me
A teenager with telekinetic powers must try to control them while, around her, her life is falling apart and she has to face a dysfunctional world. This shit is too much for me was a fabulous series, which took place at the same time as the incredible The end of the f***ing world and, of course, ended with a cliffhanger that will never be resolved. What’s the reason? The pandemic, of course, a way like any other to get rid of series that, for one reason or another, no longer fit your view of the market. Another one to the cemetery of those fallen in battle.
Shadow and Bone
Lately, all streaming services have been trying to find the perfect saga to engage young adults. Of course, Netflix fully embraced Leigh Bardugo’s, which they wrapped up in two seasons, leaving a good number of Grishaverse books still to adapt. Its fans have been very, very clear about the future of the series: they want more, and they don’t care if Netflix loses money on it. They can still back out – it wouldn’t be the first time – but frankly, it doesn’t look like it.
The OA
There are people who, upon reading “OA,” felt a pain in their heart, and rightly so. The OA gained in lore, emotion, characters, personality, and plot as the episodes went by, and the pieces began to align in an overwhelming season finale, which fans couldn’t stop talking about back in 2019. And that was it: Netflix did not want to invest further in the series, which predicted the boom of multiverses and alternative dimensions long before Marvel.
Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance
In 1982, Jim Henson and Frank Oz failed at the box office with a puppet movie that would later become a cult classic: The Dark Crystal. 38 years later, Netflix decided to dust it off and see if nostalgia would pay off with The Age of Resistance, a 10-episode series that took a long time to make and did not yield the expected results. While some hoped this would be a rebirth of the muppets, the reality is that in these times there are no second chances. Anyway.
American Vandal
The one that hurts me the most, personally. American Vandal was a mockumentary that parodied true crimes, managing to create excitement within teenage humor. It was a fantastic series that knew how to stand tall in its season 2 when we all thought it was impossible: a masterpiece that really didn’t need to continue, but would have set a precedent for Netflix’s “quality” series. It cost very little, but it wasn’t enough to keep it going. Fans miss it a lot, a whole lot.
