ELLA BALINKSA as JADE in Netflix’s Resident Evil
Resident Evil has now officially been canceled at Netflix after a single season. Why did the show get canceled? Its review scores, viewing stats, and cost of production all led to its predictable fate.
Resident Evil is the now-released Netflix Original series based on the Capcom game of the same name and created by Andrew Dabb. The series is produced by Constantin Film and Moonlighting Films, the same producers behind all of the Resident Evil movies. It’s just one of many video game adaptations Netflix is currently working on.
In the year 2022, Albert Wesker settles into life in New Raccoon City with his daughters Jade and Billie. However, years later, it is revealed that the world has succumbed to the t-virus, where mutated monsters and zombies roam, leaving Jade Wesker to search the globe to find a cure to save the last remnants of humanity.
Has Netflix renewed Resident Evil for a second season?
Official Netflix Renewal Status: Canceled (Last Updated: 27/08/2022)
Our Renewal Prediction: At risk of cancelation.
In late August, just over a month and a half after release, Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva announced on behalf of Netflix that the show had been canceled.
Given the franchise’s popularity, there would always be plenty of eyes on the show, which guaranteed that Resident Evil will be seen in many top ten lists around the globe. However, just because plenty of people started to watch doesn’t mean that they would get to the end.
The first weekend was very promising for Resident Evil, scoring 72 million hours in its first three days on the service. In week 2 (its first full week), it held onto the number 2 spot for the week with 73 million.
Week 3 is where things start to get a bit gloomy and why we’re saying that Resident Evil is now at risk. It saw a 63% drop in viewing hours globally.
| Week Period | Hours Viewed(M) | Rank | Week in Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 10th, 2022 to July 17th, 2022 | 72,670,000 | 2 | 1 |
| July 17th, 2022 to July 24th, 2022 | 73,260,000 (+1%) | 3 | 2 |
| July 24th, 2022 to July 31st, 2022 | 27,470,000 (-63%) | 5 | 3 |
If we compare its hourly numbers to other shows, such as Archive 81 and Cowboy Bebop, which were canceled quickly, they also saw big drops in weeks 2 to 3. First Kill is still waiting for renewal. The only thing that sets Resident Evil aside is the first weekend was over 2x the launch.
Resident Evil Hourly Numbers vs Archive 81, Cowboy Bebop, and First Kill
Raw top 10s demonstrate the sudden drop-off in interest and viewership beautifully.
Thanks to FlixPatrol, we know that the show did indeed have a great first weekend but its staying power didn’t last long. By August 13th (a month after release) the show no longer featured in any top 10s worldwide.
In the United States, the show only remained in the TV top 10s for 21 days before leaving.
Picture: FlixPatrol
How about demand? TelevisionStats.com suggests the show peaked at being the third most popular TV show worldwide using stats from Google Trends, Wikipedia, Twitter, IMDb, and more. As of the time of cancelation, the show is the 263rd most popular title in the world.
Our theory (we’re waiting to hear back from other data analytics companies on this) is that the start rate for Resident Evil was very high but the completion rate was too low. This meant that the show didn’t have a good ROI and therefore, was too expensive to justify a second season.
For more on how Netflix decides to renew or cancel shows, check out our guide on renewals here.
How is Resident Evil performing with reviews?
Reviews from both critics and audiences haven’t been particularly kind.
While critics’ reviews were ultimately split (it has a 53% on RottenTomatoes), audiences have been pretty vocal thus far about their dislike for the series.
Resident Evil review scores on RottenTomatoes
As of August, the series is currently only carrying a 3.9/10 on IMDb (this s up from 3.4 on the weekend of release) and a 26% on RottenTomatoes.
For context, Netflix has rightly or wrongly developed a reputation for adapting either anime or video games and doing the source material an injustice.
Many of the fan reviews seem to cite this in their reviews. One IMDb review, for example, is headlined “This is NOT “Resident Evil”!” adding:
“When the rights to make these type of shows are sold or loaned out there should have to be some ground rules. Netflix has hurt so many franchises by making subpar material it isn’t funny at all, truly. I will not bore you, there are lists of every movie and show Netflix and other streaming services have completely destroyed.”
What we would’ve expected from Resident Evil season 2
Tyrant Running Rampant
The collapse of civilization was heavily hinted throughout the season to have been caused by Joy, the miracle pill that Albert Wesker had worked on for Umbrella. However, it seems that what may have caused the initial outbreak in New Raccoon City is the escaped Tyrant.
One of the most powerful bio-weapons created by Umbrella, Tyrants are a force of nature, and practically impossible to destroy by conventional methods. With a Tyrant running loose on the streets of New Raccoon City, and Cape Town only an hour away, it’s not hard to see how an infection could spread rapidly.
We may get to see Jade, Billie, and Uncle Bert attempt their escape from South Africa as the virus rages around them.
The Tyrant enclosed in its glass case – Picture. Netflix
Ada Wong
Before leaving the lab Albert gave Jade a piece of paper with the address for Ada Wong. A former employee of the original Albert Wesker, it will be interesting to learn what the relationship between Ada and the cloned Albert.
A master of hand-to-hand combat and using small arms, Ada may teach Jade how to fight.
Ada Wong in the remake of Resident Evil 2 – Picture. Capcom
Jade vs Billie
Suffice to say Jade and Billie are currently the most dysfunctional pair of siblings on the planet. But with Billie kidnapping her niece Bea, Jade will stop at nothing to get her daughter home.
There’s also the question of what abilities Bea possesses, as she exhibited some level of control over the giant crocodile. It’s unclear if Bea can control any of the zeros, but you can bet Billie will definitely look into experimenting with Bea’s blood.
Fractured siblings Billie (Siana Agudong) left, and Jade (Tamara Smart) right. – Picture. Netflix
Where is the real Albert Wesker?
As the series is loosely tied to the story of the video games, by the events of 2022, the original Albert Wesker should have been destroyed by Chris Redfield in an African volcano. But nothing is ever simple for an individual like Wesker, who is an expert at escaping certain death.
The real Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick) – Picture. Netflix
As for cast, here’s who we would’ve expected to have returned:
| Role | Cast Member |
|---|---|
| Jade Wesker | Ella Balinska |
| Young Jade Wesker | Tamara Smart |
| Billie Wesker | Adeline Rudolph |
| Young Billie Esker | Siena Agudong |
| Albert Wesker | Lance Reddick |
| Evelyn Marcus | Paola Nuñez |
Would you have liked to have seen a second season of Resident Evil on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
Netflix Synopsis: "Years after a viral outbreak caused a global apocalypse, Jade Wesker vows to bring down those responsible while fighting to survive against the Infected."
