After two seasons, Netflix has canceled Sense8, the Wachowskis’ ambitious, globe-spanning drama. “After 23 episodes, 16 cities and 13 countries, the story of the Sense8 cluster is coming to an end,†Cindy Holland, Netflix’s vice president of original content, said in a statement. “It is everything we and the fans dreamed it would be: bold, emotional, stunning, kick ass, and outright unforgettable.†Sense8 debuted in 2015, and followed eight strangers from around the world who are “sensates,†a species of humans that are telepathically connected within clusters.
Sense8’s cancellation comes on the heels of the axing of Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down, another splashy Netflix original show with a high price tag. This week, Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings told CNBC that he’s pushing executives to view its shows with a more critical eye for cancellation. “Our hit ratio is way too high right now,†Hastings said. “So, we’ve canceled very few shows … I’m always pushing the content team: We have to take more risks; you have to try more crazy things. Because we should have a higher cancel rate overall.†RIP to Sense8 and those truly memorable orgies.