The Netflix library is full of shows that never fulfilled their potential. Or should I say, that never got the chance to fulfill their potential. The streaming service has a reputation for ruthless cancellations, and it’s far from uncommon for even well-promoted original series to be axed after just a single season.
Even Netflix shows that do get picked up for multiple seasons often face cancellation before resolving all their plot threads. A television show wrapping up on its own terms is a luxury in the streaming era. Cliffhanger endings with no conclusion in sight, or being robbed of the chance to spend more time with a lovable cast of characters, is frustrating, and Netflix has most definitely inflicted a few cruel cancellations on subscribers over the years.
So, here are five great Netflix shows that ended too soon. Consider this roundup my pleading request for the streamer to consider a renewal.
‘Mindhunter’
I’m starting my list with the almost de facto pick. Whenever the topic of Netflix shows that need to return is broached, “Mindhunter” is usually at the top of the list. In our recent poll of cancelled Netflix shows that deserve a renewal, “Mindhunter” topped the field with 28% of the more than 2,500 votes. This David Fincher-produced series might have ended more than seven years ago, but the desire for more “Mindhunter” still burns very bright.
Starring Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany and Ann Torv, the crime thriller series chronicles the founding of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in the late 1970s, as the team profiles some of the most notorious serial killers of the time. It was reportedly an expensive show to produce, and with Fincher’s long-standing exclusive deal with Netflix expiring next year, it would seem that “Mindhunter” will continue to top lists like this well into the future.
Watch "Mindhunter" on Netflix now
‘Archive 81’
Released in January 2022, “Archive 81” was actually adapted from a podcast series. Some listeners of this audio horror drama weren’t thrilled with the TV show spin. However, it scored well with critics (including in a glowing write-up from us here at Tom’s Guide). Initially, "Archive 81" appeared to have the makings of a hit Netflix original, climbing into the platform’s top 10 most-watched list, and amassing nearly 130 million viewing hours in its first two weeks.
Sadly, it wasn’t enough. Despite the encouraging critical reception and the shocking cliffhanger ending of the first season’s final episode, “Archive 81” became another Netflix original that was axed after just one season. Set across two time periods, it follows an archivist (Mamoudou Athie) restoring a series of damaged videotapes, a project that spirals into a haunting mystery centered on a sinister cult. We might never get proper answers to the lingering questions, but “Archive 81” is still worth watching, particularly with Halloween season upon us.
Watch "Archive 81" on Netflix now
‘Glow’
“Glow” is another mainstay of “Netflix shows canceled too soon” lists, and I’m not bucking that trend with my own picks. What makes the curtailing of this comedy-drama set in the world of women’s professional wrestling extra cruel is that it wasn’t supposed to be this way. “Glow” debuted its third season in 2019 and was quickly renewed for a fourth. However, a certain global pandemic the following year caused production delays, and Netflix reversed its decision.
The show starred Alison Brie, Britney Young, Betty Gilpin and Sydelle Noel, and was a real treat, mixing hilarious comedy with human drama, all wrapped up with a charming underdog spirit. While “Glow” did leave story threads hanging, because it wasn’t a twisting thriller, these unresolved questions don’t sting as much as some entries on this list, but viewers were robbed of getting to spend more time with the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) gang, and that really sucks.
Watch "Glow" on Netflix now
‘1899’
Talking of Netflix cancellations that really sting, let’s head to the year 1899. This mystery sci-fi show could have been a modern-day “Lost” if it hadn’t been axed after its maiden eight-episode run. Okay, I’m probably overselling it there; recapturing the “appointment television” nature of 2000s shows like “Lost” is basically impossible in the 2020s, but still, “1899” was a show with real potential, never given the chance to live up to its promise.
I’ll drop a quick spoiler warning here, in case you plan to binge the single season we did get, but the final episode of “1899” completely flipped the script. We learnt that the show’s 19th-century ocean liner setting was actually a computer simulation, and the core cast was in fact on board a massive spaceship plugged into machines. I had no idea where the show would go from here, and sadly, I guess we’ll never find out unless Netflix has a sudden change of heart.
Watch "1899" on Netflix now
‘I Am Not Okay with This’
With Prime Video debuting its new “Carrie” series this week, I’ve got “I Am Not Okay with This” on the mind. That’s because this coming-of-age dark comedy was quite clearly heavily inspired by Stephen King’s legendary story of an isolated teen who discovers she possesses psychic powers. The show follows Sydney Novak (Sophia Lillis), whose already turbulent teenage life is upended when she discovers she has psychokinetic powers of her own. The similarities were no secret.
The seven-episode season ended with things really going south, and a mysterious man approaching a traumatized Sydney with unknown intentions. Unfortunately, “I Am Not Okay with This” being canceled appeared to be the result of very unfortunate release timing. It hit Netflix in February 2020, just weeks before global quarantines were put in place. It was renewed for a second season but, like “Glow,” was later canceled with Netflix citing “pandemic-related issues.”
Watch "I Am Not Okay with This" on Netflix now
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