Will ABC Cancel ‘Quantico’ Season 3? Priyanka Chopra-Starrer Series Yet To Be Renewed
Quantico Season 3’s fate remains uncertain. ABC recently renewed a slew of shows, including Once Upon a Time, but it has yet to renew the series or announce Quantico Season 3’s cancellation.
The series, which saw Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra making her American television debut, opened to average 1.9 rating in the key 18-49 demo, with 7.14 million viewers tuning in to watch the first episode. In comparison, Quantico Season 2 premiere episode saw a drastic decline in viewership. The Episode scored a 1.0 rating in the key demo, and it was watched by 5.36 million. And the current season’s penultimate episode, “Rainbow,” scored a 0.5 rating in the key demo, with only 2.54 million viewing it.
Earlier this year, Quantico also lost its Sunday night timeslot. It was moved to Mondays, taking Convictions‘ 10 p.m. slot. With not-so-impressive ratings and Priyanka Chopra’s focusing on movies, there is a possibility that Quantico might not return to ABC with Season 3 this fall.
Priyanka Chopra, too, is not sure about Quantico Season 3. Last month, she told reporters in India that after every season, the broadcaster returned to get a consensus on which show should get renewed, canceled, and potential budget, according to Huffington Post (India edition). The actress, who plays Alex, added that Quantico was in that phase.
“Even after Season 1, we didn’t know if Season 2 was coming till May last year. So now, we are still waiting to see if there will be a season 3 or not.”
And creator and showrunner Joshua Safran said to TV Guide that they had shot two endings for Season 2 finale, and they ultimately cut the scene that had a “legitimate” cliffhanger.
“We cut that scene that would’ve been the other ending. We had a guest star we borrowed from another show and it won’t see the light of day. It wasn’t because the network or studio asked to not have a cliffhanger ending; it was because weirdly the scene before it has a better ending. You’re left with a question you could live with for the rest of your life with these characters as a series finale or it was a big enough question for a Season 3, and [the extra scene] was sort of a hat on a hat.”
The scene that they cut was like a “life-or-death moment for somebody,” Joshua Safran said, adding, “That kind of felt like false jeopardy because that question would be answered in the opening seconds of Season 3. It didn’t have much lasting effect. This is an open road that could go anywhere.”
Meanwhile, Variety is positive that the series will get renewed. Last week, it reported that Quantico was expected to land another season renewal, although Season 2 of the series had failed to fetch good ratings. And if ABC orders Season 3, the cast and crew may have to move to Los Angeles from New York City. The series’ first season was filmed in Montreal, Canada.
Quantico‘s Season 2 finale, titled “Resistance,” will feature the race to save the nation. According to the episode’s synopsis, for Alex and the team, it is their last stand against the Collaborators as at the Constitutional Convention, a new amendment to the Constitution threatens every American’s freedom.
Joshua Safran told Entertainment Weekly that Season 2 finale would function as a series finale in case ABC cancels Quantico. He said that Alex would end up in the most logical place, adding that it was an “incredibly, strong finale.”
You never know your own strength until being strong is the only choice you have. #Quantico is all-new TONIGHT. pic.twitter.com/qSNbTzBI6x
— Quantico ABC (@QuanticoTV) May 8, 2017
Priyanka Chopra is unlikely to be affected much if ABC decides not to greenlit Quantico Season 3. She is currently in negotiations to star in Silas Howard-directed A Kid Like Jake, which has already roped in Octavia Spencer, Jim Parsons, and Claire Danes. And her first Hollywood movie Baywatch releases in the theaters on May 25.
Quantico Season 2 finale, “Resistance,” airs on Monday, May 15, on ABC.
[Featured Image by Christopher Polk/Getty Images]
