-Contains Spoilers! –
Ever since season 3 of Netflix’s “One Day At A Time” was released in early February, fans were waiting to hear that their favorite show would be renewed for season 4. As the season had ended with Abuelita traveling to Cuba for the first time in decades, fans were left on the edges of their seats. But what fans had not anticipated was that the show would not be picked up for a fourth season and would be canceled by Netflix.
On their Instagram page, Netflix had released an announcement on March 14, 2019 explaining that “One Day At A Time” wouldn’t be renewed due to a number of factors, but ultimately cited that “simply not enough people watched to justify another season.” Perhaps what made fans even more enraged though, was Netflix’s claim that the cancelation should not be seen as an indication of viewer’s stories as insignificant. As the show represented Latinos in a new, refreshing way, to see this show taken off was almost as if their representation didn’t matter to Netflix. Their message on their announcement was hypocritical in a way, as canceling the show does not spread the notion of Latino representation being considered significant. “One Day At A Time” also beautifully represented veterans, the LGBTQ+ community, recovering alcohol and drug addicts, and families in general.
The post on Instagram has over hundreds of comments criticizing the streaming service, especially as fans feel that Netflix hadn’t done enough to even advertise the show to its
customers. I personally had only found out about the show last year when a friend had recommended it to me when the show’s second season was released. I had never seen any real advertisment on Netflix or any social media, which bewildered me as this show is what our world truly needs during a time full of hate. “One Day At A Time” had messages of acceptance and wasn’t shy of revealing dark themes to its audience, exposing viewers to a whole new view of the world. But with its witty writing and truly amazing cast, it always managed to bring a smile on my face.
It is still unknown if another company will receive rights to the show and bring another season to fans. Stars of the show, such as Isabella Gomez, have told their fans to spread the hashtags #RenewODAAT and #SaveODAAT in order to show other networks the importance the show holds to its fanbase. Lin Manuel-Miranda has also taken to his
Twitter, supporting the show and saying that it’s “not over by a long shot.” Hopefully these efforts will save a truly unique and inclusive show.
