As Netflix users once more sift through the rubble of a beloved fantasy series being canned after a single season – while the streaming service’s latest conquers the most-watched charts as everyone waits for the axe to fall – more and more are beginning to question why the company even bothers giving so many the green light.
After all, when no less than 26 episodic originals set in the same genre space have all come and gone since the beginning of 2020, questions need to be asked of the decision-making process at the highest level. Then again, looking at recent history, there’s a simple way for any in-house exclusive to be virtually guaranteed a rapid-fire renewal.
Cast your mind back to The Recruit, The Night Agent, and The Diplomat, as well as Vikings: Valhalla. Every single one of them had a new season ordered mere weeks after the previous run of episodes have dropped, and even though one of them is an ancient epic set hundreds of years in the past, a recurring thread of DNA they all share is political intrigue.
Machinations behind the scenes focusing on governments, monarchies, and various other political establishments seem to be the key, something that also applies to the unstoppable Bridgerton. Never mind magical creatures, sweeping visuals, effects-heavy action sequences, or any of the other bells and whistles that come with the territory, characters speaking in hushed tones within darkened rooms is a surefire method of success.
Fantasy? Nah. Political fantasy? Now we’re talking. After all, look how long Game of Thrones ran on…
