Lights, camera, canceled: Netflix’s concerning habit

I don’t know about any of you, but I love spending my free time watching shows. I typically spend my breaks catching up with shows that came out during the semester. But it sucks when I go to watch a show I love and I find out that it’s been canceled.

The most recent time this has happened was with “Shadow and Bone.”

“Shadow and Bone” was a wildly popular show based on the book of the same name. The show pulled in beloved characters from other books in the universe. It’s based in a fantasy world filled with magic.

While the show deviates from the books, it’s still well done and well loved by fans, both old and new. People watched it, they talked about it, and it made the series more widely popular.

Then Netflix canceled it.

Why, you may ask? Well, Netflix says that it was canceled because of reevaluation due to the Hollywood strikes.

As a fan, it’s upsetting to have beloved shows be canceled, especially when they’re doing well. I understand that company goals change, but this keeps happening, specifically to shows that feature LGBT+ characters or characters that are queer-coded. I can think of two other shows off the top of my head.

Another downside about canceling shows early on is that they will never have a chance to get popular. Some things take time to gain traction, and if shows are canceled when they don’t do well immediately, cult classics will never have a chance to become popular.

Further, binge watching isn’t always the most enjoyable thing or the most feasible, and that’s what fans feel like they have to do to ensure that the show they love gets renewed.

Personally, I find it difficult to watch a show when it comes out. Add the stress that, if I don’t watch it immediately, I might never get more, and I’m probably never going to get around to watching it.

Kai Spahr is a Hutchinson sophomore studying journalism and the Opinion Page Editor.

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