It's not usual for Kevin Bacon to leave movies behind and take on the lead or a series regular role on television. But, the actor did recently venture into the television world with his series The Bondsman on Prime Video. Though unfortunately, it's now short-lived.
Prime Video has decided to cancel The Bondsman starring Bacon after just one season which means The Bondsman season 2 will not be happening, Deadline reports. The news comes more than a month after the action horror series first debuted on April 3, 2025. The streamer did not give a reason why it chose to go the cancellation route. And it's actually quite surprising for a couple of reasons.
First, the show was able to crack the Nielsen Top 10 during premiere week. It held the no. 9 spot with 563 million minutes of viewing, per the news outlet. So viewership wise, the numbers were there even if it came out of the list in the second week. Second, it's clear the audience also enjoyed the story as the production has an 83% Rotten Tomatoes score. So it's really surprising and confusing why Prime Video didn't give the series a chance to grow even more. Especially with a big name like Bacon attached to it. The actor shared his thoughts on the cancellation on Instagram:
“Really bummed out that The Bondsman is not coming back for a second season. I just really loved walking in Hub Halloran’s shoes, making that show with so many great, talented people, making that music. I wish I had an explanation for you, but I honestly don’t. But for those of you who checked it out and wrote so many sweet comments — and there were a lot of you — I just want to say thanks. It means a lot to me. And, you know, I guess that’s the way it goes.”
The Bondsman getting cancelled is a big mistake
The Bondsman's season 1 ending is a cruel cliffhanger to end on now that it serves as the show's series finale. We see Hub (Bacon) arrested after bringing Cheryl back, and Lilith had one more trick up her sleeve. She possesses a still alive Maryanne, kills Lucky, and tells Hub that he has to serve her if he wants to protect the woman he still loves - Maryanne.
Before the cancellation news, speaking with Collider, Bacon himself shared his thoughts on a second season and that plot twist that the story brought at the end of season 1. Here's what he told the outlet:
“The dream is to do another season. I would love to do another season. When it comes to building an ending, you want to have something that’s going to make people say, “Come on, we got to find out what happens here.” With everything that’s going on, one of the main things that is driving Hub is how much he still loves Maryanne and misses their relationship and their love affair, but also the music that they made together and how those two things overlapped. So, to be left with the idea that an escaped demon has now possessed my ex-wife and that I have to continue to be around her and I can’t kill her because she’s inside this woman that I love so dearly, it’s a great dilemma for Hub. It’s a really good, cool way to end the [season].
Honestly, I think this cancellation is a big mistake. I agree with Bacon, there's still so much great story to explore now that Lilith is in Maryanne's body. Hub is so torn, and we would have seen even more emotion and character development for him. The Bondsman only went on for one season, but already we feel connected to the character and invested in his redemption arc.
Plus, there's really no reason why Prime Video cancelled the series. The viewership numbers are there, Bacon, and I'm assuming the rest of the creative team, are on board to continue, and I don't assume the production costs as much money as fantasy series' like The Wheel of Time.
Streamers usually don't reverse their decisions, so I wouldn't expect that to happen. This is truly disappointing, but what are we going to do? If you're going to miss seeing the actor on the small screen, be sure to catch him on Netflix's upcoming dark comedy, Sirens, which premieres May 22, 2025.
The Bondsman is streaming on Prime Video.