Ok, Netflix. Who hurt you? Why do you insist upon lashing out at all of us this way? Netflix has canceled another hit show before giving it a chance at a second season. Kaos has been canceled, and its fanbase is ticked; but ultimately not surprised. Netflix has gained a bit of a reputation for being a little too eager to pull the plug on successful programming.
Kaos is a modern re-imagining of Greek mythology, that explores the lives of gods and humans alike. It focuses on themes of power, control, fate, and the many creative ways in which the gods lives are just a highly dysfunctional as we mere mortals. The premise is a popular one, and many people have been eagerly waiting for the next season so they can find out what happens after the cliffhanger ending to season one… and then Netflix did what Netflix does, and killed a successful show before it even really had a chance to shine.
Lest you think we’re being dramatic, behold our running list of successful shows that Netflix has axed: The OA, Mindhunter, Sense 8, Glow, Luke Cage, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Julie and the Phantoms, The Society, I am Not Ok With This, 1899, Warrior Nun, and of course; The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
We don’t know why Netflix continues to toy with our hearts, nor can we puzzle out why loyal consumers are being punished for its short attention span. What we can do is point out that Netflix has an annoying habit of pulling the plug on popular programming after giving said programming exactly enough time to build a loyal fanbase that is livid when their new favorite show gets cut after a season or two. Just as soon as we all have feelings, Netflix decides to hurt them.
Here’s the deal though, Netflix has also made its subscription model more expensive, and harder for family members to share access to what was intended to be a family account. Common sense would suggest that the streaming giant would choose one way in which to be obnoxious, but apparently customer service? They don’t know her.
Show creators like Charlie Covell had plans. Detailed, and long-running plans for the shows that they created, and now the likelihood that those plans will ever see the light of day is… not great.
If Netflix had been paying attention, it might have learned a thing of two from the dysfunction of the Greek gods in Kaos, and maybe been a little less eager to chuck a lightning bolt at something that was going well.
Anyhow, we don’t know about you, but we’ll be treating any new shows on Netflix with a little more caution and distance. And maybe taking a closer look at what’s happening over on Disney+.
