Netflix Cancels Series After Fans Wait Years For Season 2
It seems like for every release Netflix announces, at least one bites the dust, and the trend of fast television continues, with streamers pumping out series after series for a season or two, only to cancel them afterward due to poor ratings. As always, it’s a quick money grab that sometimes sacrifices IPs that might’ve been grand if only the streamer decided to put in a bit of effort. The latest one to bite the dust is Ratched.
The Confirmation
A single thing worse than cancellation is the suspense and the development hell associated with the wait, and that’s precisely what Netflix has done with Ratched. Season 1 of the series concluded four years ago, and though it was initially ordered for two seasons, the fans had long suspected that the series was canceled. Unfortunately, they were right; Ratched-starring lead Sarah Paulson confirmed that Netflix canceled the show.
The announcement came via an X post on a fan account, putting an end to the suspense associated with the release of Season 2.
The Story Of Ratched
Ratched is a psychological thriller television series created by Evan Romansky, starring Sarah Paulson in the title role of Nurse Mildred Ratched. The series is a prequel to Miloš Forman’s 1975 movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which itself was based on the same-name 1962 novel by Ken Kesey. The series is set in mid-20th century Northern California and centers on Mildred Ratched, after she lands a job at a psychiatric hospital. It follows her journey from her first days as a nurse to becoming a head nurse in the mental healthcare system.
The Cast
As sad as this is for fans of the series, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the possibility of Ratched‘s cancellation. In 2022, Sarah Paulson said she was unsure if the second season was still happening. Besides Paulson, the series also starred Sharon Stone, Cynthia Nixon, Finn Wittrock, Jon Jon Briones, Charlie Carver, Judy Davis, Harriet Harris, Hunter Parrish, Amanda Plummer, Corey Stoll, Sophie Okonedo, and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Critical Acclaim
Ratched initially received a two-season straight-to-streaming order in 2017, and it launched its first season—consisting of eight episodes—in September 2020. The series garnered enough attention to receive four Emmy nominations during its run, including those for Sophie Okonedo as Charlotte Wells, as well as Period Costumes, Period and/or Character Hairstyling, and Period and/or Character Makeup. Unfortunately, it didn’t take home any trophies.
The Reason For The Cancellation Is Elusive
Ratings-wise, it actually fared pretty well compared to what passes for television nowadays; it ranked number one in the Nielsen ratings in the first week of its release. Even the critics loved Ratched, despite its plot holes and cartoonish characterizations of certain characters. But, as it was only viewed by 48 million people in its first four weeks on Netflix, the streamer obviously couldn’t justify making another season of the show and has opted to cancel the whole thing.
