Netflix cancels ‘Away’ after only one season

Netflix has chosen not to move forward with Away Season 2.

According to a Deadline exclusive, Netflix has opted not to greenlight Away Season 2. The series, which starred Hilary Swank as Commander Emma Green, will not continue. At least, not on Netflix.

When deciding whether or not to renew a television show, Netflix has to compare the viewership numbers with the cost of the series. Away spent a few weeks in the top ten Nielsen streaming viewership rankings, peaking at No. 2. However, the space drama is undoubtedly an expensive series to film and Netflix brass has evidently decided the numbers did not warrant another season.

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While it is unfortunate that Away will not continue for another season, the first season did end in a satisfying place, for the most part. It could be viewed as a standalone miniseries.

Season 1 ended with Emma and her crew arriving on Mars. The second season likely would have followed the group as they adapted to the planet and eventually set course to return home.

Could another streaming service produce Away Season 2?

Even though Away had more resolution than most shows, there were still some big questions left unanswered. Would Emma and Ram ever become romantically involved? What would happen between Matt and Melissa? What challenges would the crew encounter on Mars? Would Misha ever get his vision back? Could Lu and Mei see each other again?

As Away is a costly series due to the involvement of stars like Swank and Josh Charles and the many effects required to make a series set in space possible, it’s hard to imagine another streaming service swooping to save it unless they thought they could get the reception needed to make the investment worthwhile.

I think Away would be a good fit for Hulu, who has previously tried to launch a space drama that was also canceled after only one season. Away was better received than Hulu’s show, The First. Apple TV Plus might be a viable option too, but they already have their own space drama in For All Mankind as does Amazon Prime with The Expanse.

That said, those three services are backed by the biggest entertainment conglomerates:  Amazon, Disney and Apple, so they might have the financing necessary. The best thing for fans to do now is to make their voices heard in the hopes another company might give the show more seasons.

Are you disappointed by the cancellation? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.