Westworld fans already have an online petition asking HBO to extend the show.
By Jennifer Asencio | Posted 2 hours ago
Westworld fans were shocked on Friday when HBO announced they would not be renewing the show for a fifth season, and are now rallying in their efforts to persuade the cable giant to produce another season. According to MovieWeb, a petition is already up on Change.org, which has now seen an influx of signatures following the official announcement of the show’s cancellation. The move was announced due to the show’s declining ratings in its third and fourth seasons.
The movement has also spread to social media, with fans using #SaveWestworld to signal their support for the show. Westworld is known to have a final fifth season, as its creators, Jonathon Nolan and Lisa Joy have said as much. As recently as last month, showrunners were optimistic about wrapping up its final season, but on November 4, HBO officially announced the show was done.
It’s not uncommon for a show to be revived by such strong fan interest that it leads to petitions and protests. The Expanse nearly died on SyFy but was rescued by fans and found a new home on Amazon Prime, ending earlier this year after six seasons. Manifest failed to please NBC, but fan interest prompted Netflix to pick it up and wrap up its story in two more seasons, for a total of four.
Even HBO has felt the pressure of fan disappointment and delivered a Deadwood movie to satiate fans after the series was cancelled. The film was released 12 years after the show ended, but gave fans a story that filled the hole caused by the lack of closure. Fans upset by abrupt cancellations of popular shows don’t want to reward the subscriber who did it.
Westworld’s fourth season had an ambivalent ending, leading some to argue that a fifth season wasn’t necessary. The show is also very expensive for HBO to produce as it is one of the most expensive shows to produce. In view of the falling ratings, the decision to cancel makes sense.
It also comes at a long-term price. Giving shows a definitive ending increases their value when it comes to licensing for streaming later on. Viewers don’t want to invest their time in a show that has no end, and the outcry over shows being canceled by streamers under such conditions, like Santa Clarita Diet, is testament to that. A show with no real ending that’s already over has less of a chance of hitting streaming platforms because viewers know in advance that it’s incomplete.
Hopefully Westworld fans are successful in their endeavour, even if it means moving the final season to a different location like Manifest and The Expanse. The announcement of the cancellation has certainly prompted fans to defend the beloved series in hopes of bringing about the conclusion that both creators and believers of the show would love to see. They’re certainly making their interest and dedication to the show known, proving that there are plenty of people who want to see a fifth and final season.