A few days ago, Prime Video announced that their TV Show The Wilds is being canceled after only its second season. Fans of the show were understandably upset since the season finale contained a very big cliffhanger and lots of unresolved questions about the characters’ future. On top of that, it’s incredibly sad to see another show with amazing representation being cut short.
However, the fandom immediately started sharing this information on social networks, expressing their outrage and demanding another season. Some reactions are sad, others actively point out some important truths, and others are simply hilarious. In any case, all of these reactions make evident how relevant this TV show was to a lot of viewers.
The Wilds Got Canceled Even Though It Had Great Reviews
The Wilds has a rating of 7.2 in IMDB, a 88% on Rotten Tomatoes’s average Tomatometer, and 70 on Metacritic. With such good scores on every major TV and film site, it’s understandable that fans are upset about the cancellation of this TV show.
However, it’s evident that a lot of the time how well a show is received by the audience and critics it’s not the only variant the TV industry considers when deciding to renovate a series. It’s a shame that a show doing so well can get canceled in spite of great reviews.
The Fandom Is Not Doing So Great At The Moment
Throughout the short time this TV show lasted, it created a loyal following who were deeply impacted by these very relatable characters. Fans of The Wilds are having a hard time processing that they will no longer see some of their favorite characters, and they will not have any closure for the series.
More than ever, fans are relating to the characters of this TV show, who spend most of their time suffering on a desert island. It’s always hard when a TV show ends so abruptly, without even adding another season to create a sense of closure for the viewers. Mostly in a show like The Wilds that contains so many shocking twists along its two seasons.
This Is Alex Fitzalan’s Second Show That Gets Canceled
Alex Fitzalan plays Seth Novak in the second season of The Wilds, one of the characters that become part of the boy’s experiment. In the show’s final episode, it’s apparent that Seth will have total control of the installations, as Gretchen Klein will monitor the experiment from a remote location.
Funny enough, Fitzalan was also a part of The Society, a Netflix show like The Wilds that also dealt with a group of teenagers having to survive without adult supervision. Either the actor is cursed or this kind of plot is not getting as many viewers as the investor had hoped.
Fans Hope They Can Still See The Cast In Other Productions
One of the things that made The Wilds great was its outstanding cast, so fans of the show got immediately attached to them. Most of the cast wasn’t famous before this show, so fans are hoping the fame they gained during this time will be enough to propel these actresses’ careers.
Fortunately, actress Sophia Ali already had an important role in Uncharted and will appear in The F*** Happened. Reign Edwards, as well, will be the protagonist of Love You Anyway, which is still in production. Hopefully, there will be news soon of other roles by this amazing cast.
Yet There Are Other Shows That Last Forever
you’re telling me the wilds got canceled while greys anatomy is running on season 200
— emily (@shaIifoeswife) July 28, 2022
Not only is The Wilds being unfairly canceled way too soon, but there are shows that keep going even when they have more than 10 years in the air. The beloved TV show Grey’s Anatomy was just renewed for its 19th season, which has to be some kind of record.
Even though Grey’s Anatomy is an amazing TV show, and people generally love it, it would be great if there was more space on TV for other shows that are not as widely famous. It can be frustrating for viewers to see how other series get so many seasons, while their favorite shows get canceled in the first few seasons.
The Show Didn’t Work Because Of A Drastic Change Of Format
Very bummed about The Wilds. I’m not entirely surprised however. Fan reaction to the change in format was clear from the get go. Fans fell in love with the core characters in S1 just to have that format change significantly in S2.
— Dana Piccoli (@DanaPiccoli) July 29, 2022
This Twitter user believes that the show would have done better if it hadn’t made such a drastic change of format from one season to the other. In the first season, the show only focused on a group of girls, whereas in the second one, The Wilds introduced a new set of characters with whom the girls had to share screen time.
It’s very hard for viewers to get attached to a group of characters and then have to familiarize themselves with a whole other group of characters all over again. However, the show had created an interesting dynamic with the boys, and the audience was curious about the development of the show now that the two groups would finally coexist.
Fans Are Trying To Get The Wilds Saved By Another Platform
hey @hulu !! love you hulu, how you doing? LOVE YOUR NETWORK!!! i have a show i’d LOVE to see on your service called the wilds. it has a very devoted fanbase and we want it saved! i will even upgrade to a non-ad service if you save this show! ????#RenewTheWilds #SaveTheWilds
— roselie – #SAVETHEWILDS (@shelbystonis) July 30, 2022
In recent years, when a show gets canceled it’s very common for fans of the show to try to get it renewed by another network. It’s worked a couple of times already, with Brooklyn Nine-Nine being canceled by Fox and then purchased by NBC. One Day At a Time, as well, was canceled by Netflix and bought by Pop when they realized the show’s big following.
This Twitter user is already trying to appeal to Hulu to see if they may get them to buy The Wilds. The hashtag #RenewTheWilds has also gotten trendy in the last couple of days. With a little bit of luck, maybe some network will realize this show’s great potential and the fans will get at least another season.
The Wilds Is Another Canceled Show With Sapphic Characters
The wilds, gentlemen Jack, Killing Eve, 2022 is really not our year is It?
— Rut | missing villaneve (@surething_bubba) July 29, 2022
Unfortunately, The Wilds is not the first LGBTQ+ TV show that has been canceled way too soon recently. Gentleman Jack, an outstanding lesbian period drama, was also canceled by HBO after its second season. On top of that, although Killing Eve finished with a concrete resolution, its ending disappointed a lot of fans that were hoping for a happy ending for Eve and Villanelle.
Furthermore, there’s been a lot of shows with amazing lesbian representation canceled in the last few years. One Day At a Time, a hilarious sitcom with Latin and LGBTQ+ representation was canceled after its fourth season, as well as shows like Everything Sucks, I Am Not Okay With This and Batwoman. Sadly, it’s become something to be expected.
Going Back In Time To Not Deal With The Wilds Being Canceled
Even though this TV show was great and it had very good character development and a compelling story, a lot of people wished they hadn’t watched it in the first place. The Wilds left the audience with a lot of unresolved questions, and fans now will never know if the characters survive, if they go back to their families, or if some couples will get a happy ending.
If the show had given the fans some sort of ending, it would be disappointing to see it finish so soon, but at least the viewers would have gotten a complete story. However, as it is, the second season ended on a cliffhanger, when Gretchen left the teenagers on the island to continue the experiment, so the audience will never get a resolution.
Mourning Proper Ethnic And LGBTQ+ Representation
let’s talk about the importance and rarity of indigenous representation in media!! canceling the wilds means losing two indigenous characters, played by indigenous actresses, one who’s playing a queer young woman. this representation is so important. #SaveTheWilds #RenewTheWilds pic.twitter.com/7T09xIFOCy
— julia???? (in mourning) (@irrelephantkoi) July 30, 2022
The saddest part of this show ending so soon is that it contained a lot of needed representation. With a cast that contained many BIPOC, ethnicities, and also many LGBTQ+ characters, the show impacted a great part of the population who don’t often get to see themselves in the current films and series.
It’s very rare to see LGBTQ+ characters that are also people of color on TV, and The Wilds provided this very needed representation. It’s very unfortunate that it will end so soon. Regardless of its cancelation, hopefully, this show will set the ground for better and more representation in television in the future.
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