I’ve Been Burned By Netflix Cancellations Before, But ‘Pulse’ And ‘The Residence’ Hurt Different

Let me just start by saying that I would have done CPR on Pulse longer than medical student Dennis Whitaker worked on his hopeless patient on The Pitt.

So it’s no surprise Netflix is cutting its losses after going head-to-head with HBO over two very different medical dramas; the reviews and word of mouth agreed on an unanimous victor. Personally, I think there’s room for more than one fictional hospital on the airwaves, or OTT-waves, (after all, how many law enforcement dramas are there), and I had a soft-spot for the now permanent cliff-hanger queer romance between Sophie and Camila.

But one strong storyline in a sea of chaos isn’t enough to save a TV series from the dreaded Netflix ax. Frankly, no one really knows what it takes to make it to a second season intact.

Shondaland series The Residence certainly seemed to have everything going for it. A stunner cast, solid premise, cozy vibes very much on-trend with the likes of Only Murders In The Building, and strong viewer response. So what was missing?

Maybe show runners didn’t want to transplant lead detective Cordelia Cupp to another location, since The White House, and it’s history, featured so prominently within the plot structure, but she had more than enough depth and gumption to carry a totally unrelated script through successfully. If Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc can do it, after being perhaps the least interesting character in Knives Out, Uzo Aduba’s Cupp deserves more than this, surely.

With Squid Game coming to a close, and Stranger Things following soon behind it, Netflix is going to be in need of some major original IP to maintain its audience. If these cancellations mean bigger budgets for more impressive new projects, or even to resurrect old favorites like Mindhunter or The OA, I could be persuaded to see the bigger picture, but gosh, the disappointment just doesn’t get any easier.