4 reasons Netflix was right to cancel 1899 (and 1 reason they were wrong)
By Anwesha Nag
Netflix recently canceled the eerie historical sci-fi drama 1899 despite positive reviews and impressive ratings. Hailing from Dark creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the multilingual series featured Emily Beecham as lead Maura Franklin, Andreas Pietschmann as Eyk Larsen, and Aneurin Barnard as Daniel Solace, among many others.
With this decision, 1899 became the latest in a series of original Netflix shows that were given the chop after just one season. Was this the right call, or a bad decision? Let’s discuss.
Caution: We are going to discuss FULL SPOILERS for 1899 below.
Reason to cancel 1899: Maddeningly slow pace, predictable plot, and zero change of tone
1899 tells the story of a group of European passengers onboard the Kerberus, a ship sailing from Southampton to New York at the turn of the 19th century. During the voyage, they stumble on the lost ship the Prometheus, and Captain Eyk Larsen decides to stop and investigate.
The show starts well, deepening the mystery and introducing us to our main characters. Naming the ship after Hades’ three-headed dog that keeps dead souls locked in the underworld is a nice touch, given how the passengers are trapped in a simulation. The first few episodes build up the suspense nicely. It becomes evident that something is incredibly wrong with the ship and things are not the way they seem to be.
However, there comes a point where there are simply too many overlapping mysteries: the pyramid, the green bug, the boy, the memories, the ship itself, Maura’s identity, Daniel’s identity, and so on. The confusion keeps piling up every episode. It always feels like a massive twist is just around the corner, but it never really comes. Whatever little can be considered a reveal is a) predictable, and b) unfolds so gradually that it loses the element of surprise. At one point late in the season, the remaining passengers just look for people in different cabins on the ship. If this were an anime, it would be called a filler episode.
On top of all that, the show displays no change of tone throughout. 1899 is a mystery thriller, but with no reprieve, the continuous sense of uncertain doom can lose its charm and even get on your nerves.