Netflix’s ‘Sense8’ Won’t Be Returning Despite Fan Petitions


After the heartbreaking news of Sense8 getting canceled, fans of the Netflix original series have been doing whatever they can just to bring back the show. But somehow, their efforts have failed as Netflix confirmed that the sci-fi drama’s run is over.

Netflix wasn’t swayed by the overwhelming support coming from Sense8 fans, who have launched petitions to bring back the show. The Wachowski siblings-created series released the second and final season on May 5, and even with the positive response from the audience, it wasn’t good enough to score a renewal.

Fans launched an online petition via Change.org soon after the cancellation announcement was released. According to the petition, the decision to cancel Sense8 was something that people didn’t expect. The show’s followers wanted some explanation as to how a series, which has been praised for its unique theme and for providing “the world with a message of love, diversity and respect,” didn’t get another chance.

“It is not just a tv show, to watch for fun, instead of just being that, Sense 8 has given the world a new way of seeing others: with acceptance, love and understanding,” the petition concluded.

The petition on Change.org, which was translated into different languages, garnered a huge amount of support from fans. As of this writing, the number of signatures almost hit the goal of 500,000.

Some have taken their sentiments to Tumblr and Twitter and even to Netflix’s customer service center, as reported by TV Guide, hoping that the online streaming service would at least come up with a better conclusion after the Season 2 cliffhanger.

Sense8 won't be renewed despite fan petitions
[Image byBrent N. Clarke/AP Images]

But just when one would assume the amount of love shown for the series would move Netflix to reconsider its decision, the streaming giant released a statement reaffirming that it’s never going to happen. In the official letter, which can be found on the Tumblr page dedicated to the show, Netflix acknowledged the fans’ pleas to have Sense8 renewed but admitted that there’s nothing that the company can do.

“We’ve seen the petitions. We’ve read the messages. We know you want to #RenewSense8, and we wish we could #BringBackSense8 for you. The reason we’ve taken so long to get back to you is because we’ve thought long and hard here at Netflix to try to make it work but unfortunately we can’t. Thank you for watching and hope you’ll stay close with your cluster around the world. #SensatesForever”

Even with this heartfelt statement, fans still feel upset that their efforts have been ignored. One Twitter user demanded that Netflix should give an acceptable reason. One fan also swore that it’s not the end of the fight for Sense8, rallying others to continue to harass Netflix while another threatened to unsubscribe from the service.

Sense8 was a big-budget show considering the different cities and countries where the episodes had to be shot. For Season 1, filming took place in nine cities across eight countries, including Chicago, San Francisco, Seoul, Reykjavík, Mumbai, Mexico City, Nairobi, London, and Berlin. In Season 2, the team went to all of the cities mentioned above (except Reykjavik) and also to Argyll, Chippenham, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Redwoods, São Paulo, Malta, and Positano.

Netflix reaffirms decision not to renew Sense8
[Image by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]

Besides international filming locations, the show’s production would take time to complete, and overall, the series could be expensive due to the visual effects. For that reason, the production will need to do remarkably in the ratings, but Sense8 never made it to the same level as other Netflix originals like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards, We Got This Covered reported.

While there’s nothing that could bring back the show, fans are hopeful that sometime in the future, Sense8 would return. After all, TV show revivals do happen.

[Featured Image by Brent N. Clarke/AP Images]

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