Netflix are famously secretive when it comes to releasing official viewership data for their original projects, with things only getting murkier after it was revealed that watching even two minutes of a movie or TV now counts towards that number. Based on the sheer volume of shows that the streaming service have renewed over the last several years, it would appear that enough people are watching to make it worthwhile, but recent events have shown that they’ll still wield the axe on series that have already been confirmed to continue.
The Society and I Am Not Okay With This were designed and marketed to appeal to virtually the exact same target audience, so it didn’t come as a surprise when they became sleeper hits. Both were renewed for second seasons that had had already started gearing up for production, too, before Netflix made the surprise announcement that not only would neither be resuming shooting, but they wouldn’t be coming back at all.
As is the case anytime something with a built-in fanbase is unceremoniously pulled from the airwaves, fans were quick to jump onto social media to voice their displeasure, and you can check out some of the reactions to The Society being canceled below.
I can’t believe Netflix reversed the renewal of the society I’m pissed… pic.twitter.com/caeLWbhdsU
— Lovesick Michaela Pratt (@zcniths) August 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/irisckp/status/1296913717020549124?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1296913717020549124%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Ftv-shows%2Fnews%2Fthe-society-fans-upset-netflix-reversed-renewal-decision%2F
Netflix backtracked on their renewal and cancelled The Society?!?! 😭😭 NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Kristen 🖌 (@KristenGFerns) August 21, 2020
So Netflix cancelled The Society after initial renewal due to COVID. I really wanted to see what was next for them. Cliffhangers in the season finale left me with a lot of questions
— Star (@SayitAintStar) August 21, 2020
FFS! Netflix reversed its renewal decision on the second season of The Society. After getting our hopes up. 😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/CyNUqcnHah
— collins badewa. (@collinsbadewa) August 21, 2020
of us rn after the society got cancelled when they told us we were getting season 2 pic.twitter.com/VAva9dFlpN
— daya (@RUELM0DEL) August 21, 2020
https://twitter.com/harringtqn/status/1296919456799690756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1296919456799690756%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Ftv-shows%2Fnews%2Fthe-society-fans-upset-netflix-reversed-renewal-decision%2F
i hate you @netflix MAKE SEASON TWO OF THE SOCIETY pic.twitter.com/fOC70Azagg
— tee (@chalametistics) August 21, 2020
NOT NETFLIX canceling the society aka the ONLY good teen show on that damn platform pic.twitter.com/dwTpgGWiBS
— vic⭐️ (@thatbivi) August 21, 2020
The Lord of the Flies-inspired premise certainly had potential, even if it did fall into generic soapy teen melodrama territory on a regular basis, and the fan campaign looks to be shifting towards trying to get somebody else to pick it up. But if nobody’s been willing to take a chance on a fourth season of Hannibal for over five years, then it hardly seems likely that The Society will instantly be able to find a new home.
