Half Bad: The Bastard Son & The Devil Himselfonly lasted for one season before Netflix decided to cancel the well-received show. Premiering in October 2022 and based on the novelHalf Badby Sally Green,The Bastard Son & The Devil Himselfdeserves more than to bea forgotten fantasy TV show. The eight episodes of the series follow Nathan Byrne (Jay Lcurgo), the illegitimate son of the Blood Witch Marcus Edge (David Gyasi). Upon his 18th birthday, the magical world waits with bated breath to see if he will turn out like his evil father.
The series lasted eight episodes and earned a 94% onRotten Tomatoes, and yet it’s joined the unenviable list ofNetflix shows that should have gotten another season.The Bastard Son & The Devil Himselfstands apart from other fantasy-themed YA TV shows because of its adherence to Green’s book as well as its impressive visuals and excellent cast. The writing is also a high point, and the series does a fantastic job of creating an engrossing story in just eight episodes. Despite all the praise heaped on it,Netflix never renewed the show for season 2.
Netflix Is Notorious For Ending Shows Before They Can Gain A Following
It was announced that Netflix would not be renewingThe Bastard Son & The Devil Himselfin December 2022, just over a month after the first season dropped on the platform (viaDeadline). The news was first revealed on Twitter by Imaginarium, the producer ofThe Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. The UK production studio wrote,
“Half Bad is a show we are incredibly proud of, which gained stellar reviews, along with a fiercely loyal global fanbase. While we are disappointed not to continue the story, we have loved working with such a talented cast and crew on bringing our beloved show to life.”
Joe Barton, the show’s creator, wrote on Twitter,
“Sadly, yes, Netflix [has] cancelled [the show]. Very proud of it and really liked the people I got to make it with. Sorry not to be able to finish the story.”
Neither Barton nor Imaginarium nor Netflix has given a specific reason for the show’s cancelation, but it’s likely that the series did not have good enough viewer ratings to justify keeping the show running. It’s a frustrating trend with Netflix. The streamer creates a TV show that is popular with critics but doesn’t have a large following out of the gate. Instead of waiting to see if the audience will grow organically, the streamer shuts it down. Not only does this cancel a good show, it also ensures more people won’t watch the first season, as it’s incomplete.
All 16 Netflix Shows Canceled In 2024
Netflix canceled the most shows of any major network or streaming platform in 2024, including some critically acclaimed shows with just one season.
Netflix tends to renew its shows soon after the first season premieres. It’s a good strategy and ensures that viewers considering watching the premiere can be confident that the story will continue.Netflix cut the legs out from underHalf Bad: The Bastard Son & The Devil Himselfand made it so people knew it was canceled before it even had a chance to gain steam on the service.
There was apparently a lot more in the creative tank for theHalf Badteam, and season 2 could have been something special. Before the series was canceled, Barton said (viaVariety),
“I mean, we’ve planned a second series, there’s like, storylines and stuff so we’re good to go if they if they decide they want to do it.”
Lycurgo also expressed his disappointment with the cancelation, suggesting there was a lot more story to go, Tweeting out (viaDigitalSpy),
“Oh how there was so much more to tell. Me, Emilien and Nadia felt very emotional about the show’s end. We weren’t emotional about the decision. These things happen. But more emotional that we won’t be able to tell the story of Nathan, Gabriel and Annalise again. What a brilliant world Joe and Sally created. And these characters had a lot more to tell. But we move.”
Half Badis part of a trilogy that also includes the booksHalf WildandHalf Lost, which could have easily been adapted into more seasons. The short storiesHalf LiesandHalf Truthscould have helped pad out the show as well. Season 1 ends with Jessica (Isobel Jesper Jones) setting out to exact her revenge against the heroes and Nathan’s Blood Witch powers activating, both of which would have made excellent plotlines inHalf Bad: The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself.
