The Society: A Look Back at the Cancelled Netflix Series

The Mystery Behind the Cancellation

With The Society canceled, many fans wondered why Netflix made this decision. Often compared to William Golding's 1954 book Lord of the Flies, The Society is about teenagers alone in their small town when the adults disappeared. Netflix canceled the series after one season. The high schoolers of West Ham, Connecticut come to terms with their new reality and split off into groups as they disagree on how to move forward. Dramatic plot lines like Becca Gelb's (Gideon Adlon) pregnancy and Cassandra Pressman's (Rachel Keller) heart condition are explored, and there are several surprising deaths throughout the 10-episode first season.

The cast of Netflix's The Society running away from fire.

With The Society canceled before season 2, many questions remain unanswered, including the overarching mystery of where the adults went. Viewers created a Change.org petition to renew the series and spoke about their desire to watch another season on social media. The season 1 ending of The Society suggested that one particular dog could travel between the kids and the adults, and creator and executive producer Christopher Keyser had ideas for what would take place in season 2 if not for the cancelation.

Allie, Helena, and Cassandra standing outside in The Society

While season 2 was meant to begin filming again in the fall of 2020, Netflix canceled The Society because of the COVID-19 pandemic (via Deadline). The streaming service also canceled the teen series I Am Not Okay With This after one season, and GLOW was canceled after three seasons. Production became too expensive because of the health and safety protocols (via Deadline). Season 1, episode 10, 'How It Happens,' showed the parents are in the actual West Ham, suggesting the teenagers are in an alternative universe. There was huge a desire to see where the story would go next, which can't happen with The Society canceled.

Teens walk through the woods in The Society

Unanswered Questions and Season 2 Potential

Gordie (Jose Julian), one of the best characters on The Society, wonders if the teenagers could be in a parallel world in season 1, episode 2, 'Our Town,' which is hinted at in the finale. Keyser noted that he wanted The Society to last for five seasons and that would have allowed him to answer questions about why the teenagers are the only people left in their small town. Given that this is the most significant question from season 1, this would have made for a gripping season 2.

The Society's Jason, Luke, And Allie With Guns Pointed at Dewey

Keyser also noted that The Society's season 2 arc would involve 'the outpost,' an area that Grizz (Jack Mulhern) locates in the season 1 finale. The characters can grow food and farm here. Keyser explained that season 2 would talk about 'the way we create caste systems and an underclass. It had big political implications, but also a lot of new relationships — and also resolving questions about who was in power, and who wasn’t' (via Variety). Season 2 of The Society could have been huge for Netflix.

Allie Pressman looking serious on The Society

The Cast's Success After The Society

With The Society canceled, fans might not get a chance to see the characters return to finish their stories, but the actors who played the characters have gone on to enjoy a lot of success since that time. No one really had a bigger leap from The Society to their next project that star Kathryn Newton. She played Allie on The Society, but then she moved on to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Newton played Cassie Lang, the daughter of Ant-Man and a future member of the Young Avengers. Add in her role in the horror-comedy Freaky, and Newton is on her way to becoming a major movie star.

Cassie Lang in Ant-Man 3

Natasha Liu Bordizzo also jumped into a major franchise herself, when she took on the role of Sabine Wren in the Star Wars series, Ahsoka . She played Helena, Luke's religious girlfriend in The Society . In Ahsoka , she's Sabine, a Mandalorian graffiti artist and a former bounty hunter who was trained by Kanan Jarrus. She also moved on to another TV series with the Prime Video action series, The Most Dangerous Game , as Kennedy, one of the hunters.

Cassandra and Allie talking outside school in The Society

Gideon Adlon, who starred as Becca, has gone on to become a successful voice actor in Pacific Rim: The Black , Battle Kitty , and Shape Island . On a smaller level, Kristine Froseth, who played Kelly, was in the 2022 environmental movie How to Blow Up a Pipeline and appeared in the episode 'Dollhouse' in American Horror Stories as well. Finally, Rachel Keller, who played Cassandra in The Society , picked up two big roles after that show in Dirty John in 2020 and Tokyo Vice on Max.