The list of Netflix shows canceled in 2022 is pretty lengthy. The streamer certainly did little to shed its reputation for trigger happy cancelations this year. But if there’s one thing that stings more than a promising TV show being axed too soon, it’s when a series is canned with key plot points yet to be resolved.
Netflix isn’t just in the habit of frequently cutting down critically acclaimed shows while they’re finding their audience; the world’s biggest streaming service is more than content to cancel a show after a dramatic cliffhanger had viewers desperate for more. And of all the shows canceled by Netflix in 2022, there were plenty that ended with burning questions still to be answered.
Thankfully Netflix shows like Grace and Frankie, Ozark and Locke and Key were given the runway to tell a complete story, but these are the lucky few. Below are the seven canceled Netflix shows of 2022 with big cliffhangers that will (most likely) remain forever unresolved.
Partner Track
Canceled after one season comprised of 10 episodes, Partner Track followed Ingrid Yun (Arden Cho), an idealistic lawyer grappling with her own moral compass as she attempts to climb the career ladder at a swanky New York City law firm. The series also starred Alexandra Turshen and Bradley Gibson as Ingrid’s legal chums and confidants.
We strongly object to this cancelation because the final episode saw Ingrid sleep with former flame Jeff (Dominic Sherwood), a dreamy lawyer from London. But the really juicy drama came when it was subsequently revealed that Jeff had in fact betrayed Ingrid in order to steal the much-coveted partner position at the firm. And this shocking twist came after the pair had just declared their love for each other. Awkward.
Archive 81
Netflix’s horror series Archive 81 debuted in January 2022, and by March it had already been canceled. The supernatural chiller focused on an archivist, Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie), taking a mysterious job to restore a collection of damaged video tapes from the 1990s. Soon Dan finds himself piecing together the work of Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi), a filmmaker who was investigating a dangerous cult.
The show was pretty spooky, and effectively built up its central mystery over its eight-episode first season. Unfortunately, the strong reviews and decent ranking in the Netflix Top 10 weren’t enough to save this show from Netflix’s axe. The final episode concluded with the reveal that Dan had somehow been transported back to 1994. What happens next is a mystery that viewers will likely never get to see.
Half Bad: The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself
Based on the original adult novel by Sally Green, Half Bad: The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is one of the freshest cancelations on this list. The fantasy show was only axed earlier this month. It also enjoyed a phenomenal critical reception scoring an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and an equally excellent 92% audience score. But this wasn’t enough to convince Netflix to take a chance on a second season of this show about warring witch clans.
The final installment of the eight-episode first season ended on a huge cliffhanger as the sister of lead character Nathan Byrne (Jay Lycurgo) swears revenge on her brother. But at least the long-teased meeting between Nathan (a.k.a The Bastard Son) and his father, an infamous evil witch (aka The Devil Himself), was depicted in the show’s last episode, so viewers at least got to enjoy that satisfying moment before Netflix canned the show.
First Kill
There’s an argument to be made that First Kill arrived on Netflix a decade too late. This teen drama about a forbidden romance between an adolescent vampire and a vampire hunter in training missed the Twilight hype train by several years. And unfortunately for fans, Netflix quickly realized its error as the show was canceled just two months after its June premiere.
The eight-episode first season followed the blossoming relationship between newbie bloodsucker Juliette Fairmont (Sarah Catherine Hook) and burgeoning monster-slayer Calliope Burns (Imani Lewis). And the season finale was not afraid to end on a cliffhanger. In fact, the majority of the show’s central plot points were left unresolved. The biggest though was the final bitter fallout between the two leads, which hinted they were set to become fierce enemies in season 2 while still harboring deep affection for each other. Unfortunately, that is a love-hate relationship that we now won't get to see play out on Netflix.
Resident Evil
To put it bluntly, Resident Evil’s cancelation was something of a mercy killing. Based on the popular video game franchise of the same name, the show was met with little more than an unenthusiastic shrug from most critics while gamers were seriously unimpressed with all the liberties Netflix opted to take with the well-established Resident Evil lore.
However, the show did have its defender — including our own streaming editor — and there was the possibility that it would course-correct in its second season. Sadly Resident Evil was denied that chance when it was canceled in August. The first season ended with lead character Jade Wesker (Ella Balinska) finding a note from her deceased father telling her to locate Ada Wong (a popular character from the video games). Whether Jade ever tracked down Ada will forever remain a mystery, but to be honest this unresolved cliffhanger probably isn’t keeping many people up at night.
Pretty Smart
Pretty Smart wasn’t exactly the best-received Netflix show when it debuted in October 2021. It currently holds an underwhelming 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the glossy sitcom had its moments and Emily Osment, Gregg Sulkin and Olivia Macklin were all pretty charming in the lead roles.
The 10-episode first season concluded with Chelsea (Osment) and Grant (Sulkin) finally admitting their feelings for each other, but a wrench is thrown into the works when Claire (Olivia), Chelsea’s sister and Grant’s ex, reveals that she wants to get back together with her former flame by planting a kiss firmly on his lips. I guess we’ll never know how this particular love triangle was set to be resolved.
The Midnight Club
Mike Flanagan has enjoyed plenty of success on Netflix creating one-and-done series The Haunting of Hill House (and its spiritual successor Bly Manor) and Midnight Mass. But his adaptation of Christopher Pike’s beloved 1994 novel, The Midnight Club, was supposed to continue beyond a single season. Sadly, that didn’t pan out and the show was canceled swiftly following its October debut.
The Midnight Club followed a group of terminally ill youngsters living in a hospice who meet at midnight to tell spooky stories. When one of the group dies, bizarre events begin to happen and the dark history of the hospice comes to light. The first season ran for 10 episodes and in that time plenty of unanswered questions were raised, and the finale ended with the shocking identity of two key characters being revealed.
Thankfully of all the cancelations on this list, this one has a small silver lining. After the show’s cancelation was confirmed, Flanagan created a blog post that gives fans a rough outline of what would have happened in season 2. It’s not quite the same as watching it all play out on Netflix, but at least viewers of The Midnight Club got some closure.
