Netflix is becoming the new second home for criminally-underrated animated sci-fi. Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner’s Scavengers Reign gained a second life on the streamer after a failed release on Max, leaving fans desperate for more. Next up on the podium for Netflix’s growing list of under-appreciated animated shows is Pantheon, which releases on Netflix on November 22nd.
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Pantheon premiered on AMC+ in 2022. Based on three short stories by prolific sci-fi writer Ken Liu, the show follows Maddie, a bullied teenager grieving her father. When Maddie receives mysterious messages from someone claiming to be her dad, she discovers the minds of the dead have been uploaded to a digital cloud.
The official synopsis reads: “A young woman starts to get messages from an unknown number that claims to be her deceased father. Trying to uncover the truth, she stumbles upon a larger conspiracy involving the singularity.”
Created by Craig Silverstein, Pantheon ran for two seasons on AMC+ before it was sadly cancelled because of cost-cutting measures at the studio. What’s most egregious is that the series garnered perfect reviews from critics. Pantheon holds a flawless 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and was similarly loved by audiences, who awarded it a strong 94% approval rating. The show was cancelled following its first season, while Season 2 was still being developed. It’s cancelation caused major controversy, as the second season had officially been greenlit, with fans expecting more episodes.
As well as perfect reviews and an intriguing sci-fi plot, Pantheon also features a stellar ensemble cast. Paul Dano, Katie Chang, Aaron Eckhart, Rosemarie DeWitt, Chris Diamantopoulos, the late William Hurt, Taylor Schilling, Scoot McNairy, Grey Griffin, Michael Kelly, Daniel Dae Kim, and so, so many more, lend their voices to the show.
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Speaking to ComicBook back in 2022, Daniel Dae Kim revealed what makes Pantheon such an interesting series – namely, exploring our obsession with the future:
“We want to know what happens to us and how we move forward and how we survive,” he explained, continuing, “Itโs no surprise to me that this show deals with those themes. It wonโt be the last show that deals with these themes, either.”
Pantheon‘s small but devout fan base are praying that its new home on Netflix could inspire a second wave of interest in the series. They share the optimistic dream that, if the show is popular enough on Netflix, AMC might reconsider the series’ future.
The same phenomenon recently happened to Scavengers Reign. Despite its own 100% RT score and a devout fan base, the show was cancelled on Max after a single season. The series has now gained a second life after landing on Netflix earlier this year, leaving old and new fans desperate for Season 2. Recently, the show’s co-creator, Joe Bennett, shared a teaser trailer for what would have been Scavenger’s Reign Season 2. On the one hand, the teaser has motivated fans to petition even harder for a second season – but seeing how Season 2 is unlikely, it also feels like rubbing salt in the wound.
Pantheon will start streaming on Netflix on November 22nd.