The good news heading into today’s TUDUM event is that Netflix has been on a renewal spree as of late, with several smash hit shows being awarded additional seasons. However, that hasn’t been enough to dampen the outright panic that’s been increasingly spreading throughout the Shadow and Bone fandom.
Whereas Colombian erotic thriller Fake Profile, To All the Boys I’ve Loved spin-off XO, Kitty, and Portuguese mystery Turn of the Tide were all deemed worthy of additional episodes mere weeks after their respective premieres, the blockbuster fantasy favorite has officially passed the three-month mark since its sophomore run debuted, and there hasn’t been so much of a hint that it’ll be back for another round.
In fact, even though subscribers have mounted a guerrilla campaign in an effort to artificially inflate viewing figures, The LA Times spoke to a former Netflix staffer who succinctly reasoned that “you can’t game the system,” while the company itself stated that a decision hasn’t been made as of yet. If it doesn’t happen today – when the streamer’s biggest and brightest stars will be out in full force to hype the incoming wave of originals – then it may not happen at all.
Fantasy has always been one of Netflix most contentious genres based entirely on the ratio of shows that debut to the number that end up being axed before they’ve had the chance to draw their stories to a satisfying close, so you can only imagine what the reaction is going to be online if TUDUM comes and goes without Shadow and Bone – or even a Six of Crows spin-off, for that matter – being proudly revealed to the world.