After only one season, Amazon has decided to not pick up another season of the original series Utopia. The Gillian Flynn creation follows a group of comic book fans who believe a graphic novel foretells the demise of humanity and holds secrets to unlock mysteries that will save the world.
Starring John Cusack (Chi-Raq), Ashleigh LaThrop (The Handmaid’s Tale), Dan Byrd (Doomsday), and Sasha Lane (Hellboy), critics rated the film at 51 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, while the mystery thriller earned a lukewarm 6.7 out of 10 on IMDb.com. Complaints range from the series having underwritten characters to the plot being minuscule in depth.
The original UK version of the show also was a burdensome anchor that fans couldn’t seem to unhinge their loyalty. Ratings were reduced to comparisons between soundtracks, set design, and the “Americanization” of the characters.
On the opposing end of the spectrum, Utopia was a breath of fresh air for the viewer exposed to this type of conspiratorial storytelling for the first time. Considering the times, it appeared that the show would be successful as it delved into the random ideas about government manipulation circulating on social media platforms.
Perhaps most people are fatigued with the thought of conspiracies. Or the show needed more publicizing to compete with the busy news cycle and entertainment output of the Internet. Maybe people are too busy worrying about keeping a roof over their heads to care about investing in an entirely new series. Whatever the reason, with the right timing and a more developed plot, a show like this is bound to be successful in the near future.
