Netflix has returned to its old ways, dealing a fatal blow to one of its highest-rated productions in 2025. 90% off Rotten Tomatoesthe series has accumulated almost 15 million views from the first week of its release, climbing in positions Top 10 of the platform. In addition to strictly cinematographic reasons, the fiction also benefited from a controversy promoted by the Pentagon.
Now we know via Deadline that Recruitsreleased last October 9 on the red platform, will not continue, despite what the outcome of its first season announced. The Andy Parker series is inspired by memoirs The Pink Marinain which told the story of a gay boy who was searching for himself, who was running away from his family by enlisting in the Marine Corps at a time, in 1990, when Homosexuality was considered a crime.
Filming of the series was initially affected by the 2023 writers’ strike, which had to be postponed for almost a year, and ending in August of the following year, after six months. Its premiere took place in a climate very different from that known during its development, having to face the position of the new administration in relation to the theme of the series.
The season concluded with the announcement of the conflict in the Middle East and an imminent foray of the protagonists into the war, following a pattern similar to that proposed by Kubrick in The metal sheath. Cancellation only two months after the first fell like a bucket of cold water among the legion of fans of the acclaimed series. A decision carefully considered by the platform.
Sony, the production company behind the fiction, did everything possible for the sake of delaying negotiations and extend the contracts of the main players to encourage renewal. But the giant led by Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos did not consider that long-term audience estimates justify the continuation of the series.
A complicated future
Given this scenario, the chances of another network or platform saving the series are unlikely, due to the strict exclusivity clauses.that They generally limit both the transfer of rights and the future exploitation of the content. This type of clause typically establishes long periods of time during which the platform retains exclusive control over distribution, branding, and in many cases characters and format, which significantly reduces the leeway for an immediate sale or continuation in another department.
Reactions from the cast
Actors took to social media to show their reactions to the decision. “Sometimes these things happen and are beyond our control,” he wrote. Blake Burtencouraging his supporters to “find strength deep within your soul always overcome obstacles.” For his part, his co-star Angus O’Brien emphasized the value of the experience of filming the series: “I formed a family for life and we create something beautiful“.
In addition to Burt and O’Brien, they complete the cast of the series Miles Heizer, Ana Ayora, Cedrick Cooper and Vera Farmigaamong others. The Sony Pictures television series was the last project released to date, before the death of Norman Lear, creator of All in familya series in which Rob Reiner, also sadly deceased, made his name.
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