The Order spoilers ahead.
Bad news, Netflix fans – after a lot of backing and forthing, The Order has been officially cancelled.
Its fate was left in the balance at the end of season two, but after keeping fans – as well as the cast and crew – hanging, the show has now been shelved.
It's a shame considering the team behind the series were keen for it to continue, with weeks before the cancellation, executive producer Chad Oakes talking about his hopes for the future during a virtual Comic-Con@Home panel.
"The fan and the audience response has been incredible," he added. "We're really thankful to everybody out there for watching. The love comes through in all the blogs and the reviews and everything else. So we're cautiously optimistic, and we hope that we can have some good news soon."
However, in November 2020, the truth came out that Netflix had no plans to bring the fantasy series back, leaving it without a finite conclusion and several questions left unanswered.
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Dennis Heaton, showrunner on The Order, wrote on Twitter at the time: "For two seasons I was honored to work with an incredible cast and crew on The Order for [Netflix]. It is one of the best experiences of my career.
"Unfortunately, we aren't returning, but I will always cherish the memories and the props I stole. Thank you all for watching."
As of December 2021, his Twitter bio reads: “Cancelling The Order wasn't my decision.
"Contact Netflix."
The need for the statement only goes to show how dedicated the fanbase has become, with some demanding The Order at least get an ending, if not a full revival.
Heaton in turn also shared a bit of what he had planned (though whether real or a joke we'll never know) and later wrote: "PS – Jack was totally going to raise Alyssa from the dead, but she was going to come back wrong. Like, Pet Sematary wrong. Probably possessed by Zecchia. And a whole bunch of other corpses were coming back with her."
The true reason behind the cancellation remains unknown, though is usually down to viewership numbers not meeting expectations as quickly as Netflix hopes.
However in 2020, the streaming service seemed more cutthroat than usual with its approach to the future of shows, with dozens being cancelled after just one season.
In the case of The Society – a Lord of the Flies-style teen drama about a town of children having to fend for themselves when their parents disappear – the show was given the all-clear for season two, only to be pulled from the schedule permanently amid the pandemic shut down.
Other victims of the Netflix cull of 2020 include V-Wars (after one season), Atypical (four seasons), Bonding (two seasons), Spinning Out (one season), Dash and Lily (one season) and I Am Not Okay With This (one season).
The Order seasons one and two are both available on Netflix.
Freelance writer, Digital Spy
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