If Netflix is so intent on killing of the majority of popular fantasy shows after a single season, then why does the streaming service continue to produce so many? It’s a question that’s been irritating subscribers for years now, and as a result, it’s hard to get excited about the impending arrival of Black Knight exactly one week from today.
After all, if Warrior Nun can be given the axe despite its second season ranking as the platform’s best-reviewed run of original episodic content ever, then nothing is truly safe. Even now, viewers were shocked to discover that the $200 million disaster Jupiter’s Legacy even existed, all while Shadow and Bone supporters pull out all the stops to try and save it from the scrapheap.
That being said, Black Knight does have the advantage of being a Korean genre show, something that worked in the favor of both the all-conquering Squid Game and Hellbound, which were each renewed for second seasons on the back of strong performances that pleased the almighty algorithm.
Netflix’s latest foray into the wasteland unfolds in 2071, where air pollution has reduced most of the Korean peninsula to nothingness, taking out 99 percent of the human population. It’s a decent setup, and it looks suitably spectacular on a visual level, but what’s the point in getting invested when the odds are stacked against it surviving the relentless purge of fantastical fare?
It’s always nice to be proven wrong, but when the company is happy to spend ridiculous amounts of money on mediocre fare while fan favorites bite the dust, the best advice is not to get too attached just in case.