Adios amigos! It was good while it lasted
Inspired by Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Shadowhunters has been on the air for three seasons. Set in urban and contemporary New York, the story revolves around Clary Fray who realises that she comes from a long line of Shadowhunters, i.e. a human-angel hybrid who hunts down demons.
Thrown into the world of demon hunting after her mother Jocelyn is kidnapped; with the help of mysterious Shadowhunters, Jace and her best friend Simon, Clary begins a self-discovery journey as she learns more about her past and what the future holds for her.
The show got positive responses when it first aired in 2016. However in mid-season 3 run, the network, Freeform decided to axe the show in June 2018. Instead of a fourth season, Shadowhunters got an additional 12 episodes for season 3 to wind up the show.
The show concluded with its two-part series for season three in May 2019.
The reason behind cancellation:
Despite the initial popularity, the show couldn’t garner as many viewers as the seasons continued. Bad performance of the show, low viewership and low rating along with the extremely high budget expenses caused the network to axe the show. The average rating of the show was barely 400,000 weekly viewers.
Therefore, money-related issues and appraisals of the series eventually led to its cancellation.
Fans protest:
Ever since it was announced that the show will not be renewed for another season, fans have flooded the network, Freeform’s Twitter and other social media accounts to request for another season. Some even began petitions on the web to bring back the supernatural drama. Fans used the hashtag #SaveShadowhunters to try and get other networks to pick up the show.
Much to one’s dismay, one thing is for sure that Shadowhunters will not return any time soon. The officials at the network have affirmed that the series won’t be restored and that they’re adhering to the choice made.
Cast reacts:
Katherine McNamara who plays the titular role of Clary in the show in an Instagram post shared her thoughts on the playing the character of Clary and on the cancellation.
The actress said that playing a character that is special and strong, has been an honour and a joy. She talked about the experience as being educational and memorable and that she will treasure the show and cherish the memories made in the making of the series.
Dominic Sherwood who played the role of Jace Herondale in a tweet shared how it has been a privilege for the actor to be a part of this world. He thanked the fans for their support and love.
Despite its low ratings, Shadowhunter’s was widely popular among teens and the LGBTQ community for its bisexual representation through couples Alec and Magnus. Fans can only hope for a miracle to bring back the show.
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