Netflix, the streaming giant known for its binge-worthy shows and movies, has a habit of cancelling fan-favorite series prematurely. The latest victim is Warrior Nun, a supernatural drama about a secret order of demon-fighting nuns that developed a passionate following over its two-season run. Despite critical acclaim and a vocal fan campaign to save it, Netflix has pulled the plug on Warrior Nun, leaving its story unfinished and its fans devastated.
The outcry has been swift and fierce, with fans launching a #SaveWarriorNun campaign that has trended globally on Twitter for weeks. The phrase "NETFLIX CORRECT YOUR MISTAKE" has become a rallying cry, racking up over 500,000 tweets as of January 2023. Clearly, this is not just a small subset of disgruntled viewers, but a significant movement that has tapped into a larger frustration with Netflix‘s cancellation habits.
The Rise of Warrior Nun
Warrior Nun premiered on Netflix in July 2020, based on the comic book character created by Ben Dunn. The series follows Ava Silva (played by Alba Baptista), a 19-year-old woman who wakes up in a morgue with a divine artifact embedded in her back. She discovers she is now part of an ancient order of warrior nuns tasked with battling demons on Earth.
The show‘s mythology is rich and complex, blending elements of Catholicism, supernatural lore, and sci-fi. Ava grapples with her newfound powers and destiny while also uncovering dark secrets about the Order of the Cruciform Sword (OCS) and its history. She forges deep bonds with her fellow sister warriors, including the stoic yet loyal Beatrice (Kristina Tonteri-Young), the fierce and conflicted Lilith (Lorena Andrea), and the brash but devoted Shotgun Mary (Toya Turner).
Warrior Nun earned praise for its badass action sequences, irreverent humor, and compelling character development. It was also celebrated for its diverse cast and strong feminist themes, showcasing complex female characters grappling with questions of faith, duty, and agency. The first season ended with a tantalizing cliffhanger, setting up an epic battle to come.
Fans‘ prayers were answered when Netflix renewed Warrior Nun for a second season, which premiered in November 2022 to even more acclaim. Season 2 deepened the show‘s mythology, raised the emotional and apocalyptic stakes, and delivered jaw-dropping twists and turns. It ended with another game-changing cliffhanger, teasing an even more thrilling and consequential third season.
The Shock of Cancellation
Then, in a move that stunned fans and critics alike, Netflix announced in December 2022 that Warrior Nun was cancelled and would not return for a third season. No specific reason was given, but it follows a pattern of Netflix axing shows after 2-3 seasons, regardless of popularity or acclaim.
The news was especially baffling given that Warrior Nun seemed to be on an upward trajectory. Its second season debuted to higher viewership and even better reviews than the first. It cracked Netflix‘s Top 10 most-watched shows in multiple countries. Industry insiders praised its smart writing, inventive world-building, and talented cast.
Showrunner Simon Barry had discussed plans for a multi-season arc, teasing that the story was only just beginning. The cast had expressed excitement about the future direction of their characters. By all accounts, Warrior Nun was a success story that deserved to continue.
Instead, it became the latest Netflix original to fall victim to the algorithm, joining other prematurely cancelled fan favorites like Sense8, The OA, Anne with an E, and Glow. For a platform that built its brand on giving creators the freedom to tell unconventional stories, Netflix has developed a reputation for pulling the rug out from under shows before they can fully realize their potential.
The Fan Uprising
While previous Netflix cancellations prompted social media grumbling and halfhearted petitions, the response to Warrior Nun‘s axing has been on another level. Within hours of the announcement, #SaveWarriorNun began trending worldwide on Twitter and has remained a top trend ever since. Fans have flooded social media with impassioned pleas for Netflix to reverse its decision, sharing fan art, video tributes, and heartfelt testimonials about what the show means to them.
The outpouring of love for Warrior Nun is staggering. As of January 2023, #SaveWarriorNun has over 300,000 tweets, while "NETFLIX CORRECT YOUR MISTAKE" has over 500,000. The movement has united fans from all corners of the globe, with the hashtags trending in the U.S., Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and more.
Fans have even taken out billboards in major cities like Los Angeles and Toronto urging Netflix to #SaveWarriorNun. They‘ve organized mass rewatches, created petitions, and bombarded Netflix‘s social media with thousands of comments. It‘s a remarkable display of grassroots fan power in the age of social media.
So why has Warrior Nun struck such a deep chord with viewers? For many fans, it‘s the powerful representation the show offers. It features a diverse cast of strong, complex female characters, including multiple queer characters and characters of color. The show‘s themes of found family, sisterhood, and empowerment have resonated strongly with LGBTQ+ viewers and young women in particular.
"As a queer woman, seeing Ava and Beatrice‘s relationship develop was so meaningful to me," said one fan on Twitter. "It‘s rare to see a fun, kickass genre show that also offers organic, well-developed queer representation. Warrior Nun made me feel seen and validated."
Others praised the show‘s deft handling of faith and religion, neither demonizing nor glorifying Catholicism but rather exploring the complications and contradictions of belief. Some fans found the show‘s grappling with questions of destiny, free will, and morality compelling and thought-provoking.
On a storytelling level, fans are distraught at the idea of Warrior Nun ending on such a massive cliffhanger. The season 2 finale raised the apocalyptic stakes to world-ending levels, put the fates of major characters in question, and teased a thrilling new direction for season 3. The prospect of never getting resolution to those plot threads is heartbreaking for viewers who invested so much time and emotion into the story.
"It‘s cruel to get fans so invested in these characters and their journeys, only to yank it all away with no warning," wrote a fan on Reddit. "We were promised an epic story and now we‘ll never get to see it play out. It‘s a slap in the face."
Why Netflix Cancelled Warrior Nun
So if Warrior Nun was such a beloved and buzzy show, why did Netflix give it the ax? The company hasn‘t offered an official explanation, but we can read between the lines. Like most Netflix originals, Warrior Nun likely saw a significant drop-off in viewership after its initial release. Netflix‘s binge model encourages subscribers to quickly consume new shows and then move on to the next shiny thing. Shows that don‘t continuously bring in new viewers are seen as expendable.
There‘s also a cold financial calculus at play. The longer a show runs, the more expensive it becomes to produce as cast salaries increase. Given Netflix‘s massive debt load and recent subscriber losses, cutting costs is a top priority. Warrior Nun may have been a victim of belt-tightening, despite its passionate but ultimately niche fanbase.
Industry insiders suggest that Netflix relies heavily on viewer completion rates to guide renewal decisions. If a significant portion of Warrior Nun‘s viewers didn‘t finish the season, that could have sealed its fate. Never mind that those who did watch were deeply invested and eager for more.
It‘s a frustrating reality for fans, who have come to love Warrior Nun‘s unique characters and world. But unfortunately, it‘s par for the course with Netflix, which has a long history of pulling the plug on fan-favorite shows. In fact, the company seems to have a three-season curse – if an original series doesn‘t break out in a big way by season 3, its days are likely numbered.
Other infamous examples of Netflix cancellations that left fans reeling include:
Sense8: A sci-fi drama about eight strangers who become mentally and emotionally linked. Cancelled after 2 seasons and a passionate fan campaign, Netflix eventually released a 2-hour finale special to wrap things up.
The OA: A mind-bending mystery about a woman who resurfaces after being missing for 7 years. Cancelled after 2 seasons, leaving many questions unanswered.
Anne with an E: A coming-of-age story based on the Anne of Green Gables novels. Cancelled after 3 seasons despite a huge fan outcry.
Glow: A dramedy about a 1980s women‘s wrestling TV show. Renewed for a 4th and final season, only to be abruptly cancelled due to Covid-19.
In each case, fans mounted social media campaigns to save the shows, but to no avail. Netflix rarely reverses its cancellation decisions, no matter how much viewers protest. The only recent example is Manifest, a mystery drama that was picked up for a final season after NBC cancelled it and fans petitioned Netflix to save it.
But Manifest had a larger audience than Warrior Nun and came with a pre-existing fanbase from its NBC run. It‘s unlikely that Warrior Nun has the mainstream appeal to convince Netflix it‘s worth saving.
The Realities of Saving a Cancelled Show
That hasn‘t stopped Warrior Nun fans from trying, though. In addition to the #SaveWarriorNun campaign, there‘s also a push for another network or streaming service to pick up the show. Fans have urged Amazon Prime, Hulu, Apple TV+, and others to rescue Warrior Nun, arguing that it would be a smart acquisition that could attract a passionate subscriber base.
However, the realities of moving a cancelled show to a new home are complicated. Netflix likely owns the rights to Warrior Nun, so any interested party would have to make them an offer. And given that Netflix shelled out for two seasons, they may want a significant payday to let the show go.
There are also logistical challenges of reassembling a cast and crew that have moved on to other projects. While the Warrior Nun team seems eager to continue the story, it becomes increasingly difficult to get everyone back together the more time passes.
Perhaps the best hope for Warrior Nun is a miracle renewal from Netflix itself. It‘s not unprecedented – after cancelling popular sitcom One Day at a Time, Netflix reversed course and ordered a final season after fan outcry. And after initially cancelling Sense8, Netflix did produce a two-hour finale to wrap up loose ends.
Could the sustained passion and publicity drummed up by the #SaveWarriorNun campaign make Netflix reconsider? Crazier things have happened. But fans probably shouldn‘t hold their breath. As much as Netflix may appreciate their enthusiasm, the company has made it clear that its renewal decisions are driven by data, not sentiment.
The Power of Fandom in the Social Media Age
Regardless of whether Warrior Nun gets saved, its fans have already accomplished something remarkable. They‘ve turned a little-known supernatural drama into a global social media phenomenon, making headlines and dominating Twitter discourse for weeks on end. They‘ve demonstrated the power of fandom in the age of social media, where a show‘s most dedicated viewers can also be its loudest advocates.
In a world where anyone can tweet at a network or rally support with a hashtag, fans have more influence than ever over the fate of their favorite shows. While networks and streaming services still hold the ultimate power, they can no longer ignore the voice of the audience. A show with a small but mighty fanbase can make a lot of noise.
Of course, this cuts both ways. The same social media tools that fans use to champion a show can also be used to harass and bully those involved with a cancellation. Warrior Nun fans have largely kept their campaign positive, sharing fan art and personal stories rather than attacking Netflix employees. But other fandoms have crossed lines in their zeal to save a show.
There‘s also the risk of fans getting their hopes up, only to have them dashed again. The realities of the TV business are harsh and unforgiving, and no amount of fan love can overcome cold, hard metrics. It‘s great to see fans fight for the shows they love, but it‘s important to manage expectations and not take a cancellation as a personal betrayal.
At the end of the day, the most meaningful impact of the #SaveWarriorNun campaign may not be whether it actually saves the show, but how it has united and empowered fans. It‘s given them a platform to share what Warrior Nun means to them and celebrate the community they‘ve built around it. It‘s allowed them to feel like they have a voice and a stake in the future of a story they love.
In that sense, the fight to save Warrior Nun is about more than just one show. It‘s about the relationship between fans and the properties they invest in. It‘s about holding media companies accountable and reminding them of the emotional impact of their decisions. It‘s about asserting the value of diverse, female-driven genre storytelling at a time when it‘s still too rare.
Even if Warrior Nun remains cancelled (and that seems sadly likely), its legacy will live on through its fandom. The show has clearly touched and inspired viewers in a profound way, sparking creativity, conversation, and community. Those bonds don‘t vanish just because Netflix pulls the plug.
If anything, Warrior Nun‘s premature end may only deepen fans‘ appreciation for what it accomplished and how much potential it still had. Like other brilliant-but-cancelled shows, it will be remembered as a special series that burned bright and was gone too soon. But perhaps its greatest gift is how it has mobilized and united its viewers to fight for the stories and characters they love.
So while Warrior Nun may be lost, its fans carry on its spirit. They‘ll keep making fan art, writing fan fiction, and championing the show to anyone who will listen. They‘ll keep pushing for better representation and more daring storytelling in genre TV. And they‘ll keep holding Netflix and other gatekeepers accountable for their decisions.
In the end, that may be Warrior Nun‘s most powerful miracle yet.
