A Netflix original psychological thriller debuted on the streaming platform on March 20, 2015, but just a year and a half later, the show was cancelled, confirming that its third season would be its last. Although there are numerous Netflix originals now, at that point, originals on the platform were still a bit of a novelty. And in fact, Bloodline was among the first 10 Netflix original shows, alongside titles like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.
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Bloodline centered on the Rayburn family, comprising siblings John (Kyle Chandler), Danny (Ben Mendelsohn), Meg (Linda Cardellini), and Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz), along with their sister, Sarah, who died when they were children. Far from a happy family, the Rayburns had a host of dark secrets, which only grew as the show went on. Despite the stellar cast, captivating mysteries, and unique storyline, Bloodline was slashed by Netflix ahead of its third and final season, and 10 years later, this choice remains a disappointment.
Bloodline Was Completely Underrated
While Bloodline wasn’t entirely overlooked—Mendelsohn actually won an Emmy for his performance in the show, and both he and Chandler were nominated multiple times—the show was truly underrated. Unlike many of its Netflix original counterparts of that era, such as the previously mentioned House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, Bloodline never became a smash hit, yet it absolutely deserved to be one.
With Mendelsohn, Chandler, and Cardellini leading the show, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Bloodline was brilliantly acted. All three stars have had (and continue to have) massive careers, with Chandler perhaps best known for his role on Friday Night Lights, Cardellini playing the lead in numerous major shows including the brand-new HBO Max dark comedy DTF St. Louis, and Mendelsohn playing Star Wars villain Director Orson Krennic in both Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor.
In addition to the acting chops of the cast, Bloodline was a genuinely compelling psychological thriller, complete with unexpected murders, cliffhangers, and mind games that left audiences unsure of who to trust. Sadly, the plot, particularly in the third season, felt a bit cut off at the knees due to Bloodline’s unexpected cancellation, depriving viewers of what could have been a much more substantial show.
Netflix Axed The Show After 3 Seasons, Despite Planning On More
Bloodline’s lifespan was surprisingly short-lived. The show was first announced in October of 2014, and season 1 dropped on Netflix in March of 2015. Season 2 hit the streaming platform on May 27, 2016, but it was cancelled just a few months later, on September 14, 2016. The third and final season was released on May 26, 2017. Reportedly, Netflix could no longer justify the production cost of the show, particularly when compared against its viewership, although the show’s creators had initially envisioned Bloodline having around five or six seasons.
It’s possible that Bloodline suffered this fate because of the newness of streaming. In 2015, streaming services were still testing the waters—a far cry from what streaming looks like today—and with Netflix leading the pack, it would make sense if executives weren’t willing to take a financial risk with the show. Were Bloodline made today, it would be interesting to see how it would hold up. Sadly, it’s very unlikely that Bloodline will ever be revisited, as much as fans of the show would be delighted to hear otherwise.
Fans Are Still Mourning The Loss Of This Show
It’s been nearly a decade since Bloodline had its series finale, yet fans of the show remain heartbroken over its conclusion. This disappointment is more than just sadness that the show has ended, though. Because Bloodline’s cancellation was announced while season 3 was still in the works, it seemed to many as though the last season (particularly the second half of the last season) was rushed in an effort to wrap everything up. This meant that not only did the show come to a swift end but also it felt like a worse version of what viewers would have gotten, had the show been given more time.
Frustrations with how the story concluded aside, the cancellation of Bloodline after just three seasons is frustrating because the show really did deserve better. The cast was excellent, and the Rayburn family (and their unsettling secrets) had so much more to offer. Unfortunately, audiences are unlikely to ever see the return of this dysfunctional, compelling, and slightly terrifying family on screen again.
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