Note from Marvelous Geeks’ Team: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the [series/movie/etc] being covered here wouldn’t exist. We stand with and for them.
Since Season 1, we have been singing praises for Blindspotting on Starz—the show’s innovative, powerfully thought-provoking means of storytelling through spoken word poetry, admirable displays of vulnerability, and tremendous heart made it one of the best things on TV. But why was it canceled? Why weren’t people watching when many viewers and critics were constantly screaming about wanting more shows exactly like it?
It could be because not everyone has Starz. I, for one, would only subscribe to the service when the series was on air, then cancel shortly after because there’s nothing else on it that I was interested in watching. With the cost of streaming services increasing everywhere and the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, it’s not shocking that viewers simply cannot afford these services anymore. It’s also not surprising that every single household wouldn’t subscribe to every streaming service, thereby resulting in a myriad of shows going unwatched. Still, Blindspotting was worth every minute, and it deserved the chance to go out on the writers’ terms.
Developed by film creators Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, the series was always meant to be Ashley’s (Jasmine Cephas Jones) story, taking place six months after the film while she raises her and Miles’ son while he’s incarcerated. Blindspotting is one of the few series on TV that always left me speechless, a series I couldn’t find the right words for. It features some of the best performances on TV by Cephas Jones, who’s simply sensational as Ashley, and it features one of the strongest second seasons. There was no sophomore slump for the series—there was only growth.
Further, the Blindspotting Season 2 finale is single-handedly one of the best finales on TV, with beautifully compelling, raw performances that still haunt me despite the fact that it’s been months since it aired. But on social media, where fandoms are always loud and proud, many were quiet about Blindspotting. Again, it’s hard to blame the series when most people didn’t even know it existed because surely, if they did, they’d be watching. And this is especially the case for romance fans who’d stop at nothing to promote a series centered around a couple who genuinely care for each other.
In exploring crucial topics such as racism, white fragility, motherhood, interracial relationships, sexuality, grief, and love, the series stands as a beacon of hope for the kind of storytelling that could leave a mark when the writers at the helm care about telling honorable stories. From the first episode to the very last, it’s poignantly clear that the entire cast and crew care tremendously about the story and characters they are portraying. It was an important series and one that could have been revolutionary. (In this critic’s view, it still is.) The show didn’t try to stand out in a sea of fantastic series; instead, it merely wanted to tell an authentic story. It thoroughly did an impressive job of conveying human complexities and showcasing the lengths people would go to for the people they love.
In every sense of the word, Blindspotting is a love story, and it’s a shame that it won’t continue for the time being. (Though I’ve witnessed TV miracles in my life. I’ll sit here, holding on to hope still.) For anyone still curious, the series is currently streaming on Starz.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Starz