Fans of Netflix have expressed their disappointment over the lack of a fourth season for a horror series that boasts a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rotten Tomatoes is often a trusted gauge for gauging the quality of new movies or series. Generally, a higher score indicates a better quality product.
Achieving a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes signifies a show or film is doing exceptionally well and captures the interest of viewers.
After making a strong debut with its first two seasons, Santa Clarita Diet’s third season was well-received by both fans and critics, maintaining a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score even six years after it aired.
The show, which premiered in 2017, stars Timothy Olyphant and Drew Barrymore as real estate agents Joel and Sheila Hammond in Santa Clarita, California, along with their teenage daughter Abby, played by Liv Hewson.
The seemingly ordinary family story takes a dramatic twist when Sheila turns into a zombie, causing her to crave human flesh and prompting an investigation into the virus’s origins in hopes of averting an apocalypse.
The third season concluded with a cliffhanger that left viewers expecting another installment.
Despite the anticipation, Netflix opted not to produce a fourth season, disappointing many fans.
On the Facebook page ‘Netflix Bangers,’ one fan expressed, “I wish they had continued this. I loved it! So funny.”
Another commented, “I’m gutted it got axed!! Was great,” while a third highlighted the show’s unique humor: “I loved its dry humor.”
Last year, creator Victor Fresco shared how he learned there wouldn’t be another season of Santa Clarita Diet.
Fresco found out about the show’s cancellation through his assistant, who noted that the sets were being dismantled, rather than hearing directly from Netflix.
He revealed to the Guardian, “That’s how I heard it was definitively not coming back. We had an inkling it might not come into a fourth year.”
Fresco purposefully left season three on a cliffhanger, hoping it would complicate Netflix’s decision to cancel the show.
He remarked, “We didn’t want to make it easier for them to cancel us. We thought ‘Why are we doing their work for them?’”
Discussing the rationale behind Netflix’s decision, Fresco explained that financial factors played a role in the series’ cancellation.
“If you look closely at your deal, you’ll see that there’s a huge disincentive for them to order seasons four and five because they’re really making a big payout then,” he added.