Geena Davis reacts as Netflix pulls the plug on The Boroughs
Netflix just axed The Boroughs, leaving star Geena Davis baffled and bummed — and fans asking what went wrong.
Netflix is at it again with the axe, this time lopping off a critically adored sci-fi series after just one season. You know the one I'm on about: 'The Boroughs', complete with Geena Davis, a dream cast of veteran heavyweights, and the Duffer Brothers (of 'Stranger Things' royalty) steering the ship from behind the scenes. On paper? Should be untouchable. In reality? Cancelled, despite still hovering in Netflix's top 10 when the guillotine dropped.
How the Cast Actually Heard the Bad News
Geena Davis, who basically stole every scene she was in (no shock there), opened up about the whole messy affair in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She said that at least the producers told the cast themselves before the press did. Davis put it frankly:
"We're all terribly disappointed... Honestly, I don't know what happened."
So even the main talent didn't see the cancellation coming. And honestly, who would? The show was still ranking in the platform's top slots when it got the chop, which is not the usual order of things. Davis didn't hide her bafflement at how rare it is for a popular series to get canned in the middle of that kind of run.
Why Was It Axed?
Official word is that Netflix looked at the numbers and saw what they call "weak long-tail growth potential." Basically, after a buzzier opening stretch, the audience just didn't keep up enough to justify more episodes. Which must sting a bit extra for everyone involved, since most folks expect anything with the Duffer Brothers attached to break the internet as a matter of course.
No Cliffhangers, At Least
Davis did try to find a silver lining: at least they weren't left dangling over a narrative chasm. She said that the creators—Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, by the way—were adamant from the start that if they only got one series, it would feel like a complete story. Someone smart apparently told them to 'make it its own thing' so viewers wouldn't be left in limbo. There is a tiny hint at the very end that not everything is tidied up, but otherwise it wraps up the central plot. It's not often you get that kind of closure these days, especially with genre TV.
The Underappreciated Cast and Premise
- Geena Davis
- Alfred Molina
- Alfre Woodard
- Bill Pullman
- Denis O'Hare
- Clarke Peters
Not exactly a group you see assembled that often outside of awards shows. And the plot setup had a lot going for it, too: you've got a quiet retirement community, an outsider grieving a loss, some monstrous hijinks, and a crew of seniors-turned-heroes uncovering shady goings-on. The whole 'golden years' business turns out to be more lethal (and, apparently, much cooler) than anyone expected.
Addiss and Matthews, aside from writing and running the show, exec-produced alongside the Duffer Brothers—so it's not like the project was lacking in creative power either.
'The Boroughs' is still streaming on Netflix, if you fancy a series that doesn't leave you with burning questions once the credits roll.