Summary
I still can’t get over the fact that Netflix only gaveBloodlinethree seasons before canceling it. Bloodline was one of the very first original series that Netflix had ever produced, second only toHouse of Cards(2013),Orange is the New Black(2013), andMarco Polo(2014). WhileMarco Poloonly ran for two seasons,House of Cardshad six seasons across 73 episodes andOrange is the New Blackhad seven seasons across 91 episodes. Combined,Netflix’s two first-ever original series earned 11 Emmy Awards and 72 nominations, withHouse of Cardsearning 56 of those nominations.
Bloodlinewon one Emmy for Ben Mendelsohn’s performance as Danny Rayburn and could very well have won more in future seasons, had they happened.Bloodlineran for two very good seasons and a third season that completely went off the rails toward the end.It had the ingredients to follow the same footsteps asHouse of CardsandOrange is the New Black, even though it focused on a select number of characters in the same family rather than dozens of characters that come and go throughout the series. Fans ofBig Little Liesand the recentJake Gyllenhaal thrillerPresumed Innocentwill appreciate the shared themes and suspense inBloodline.
The cast and performances were the highlight of the series
As Netflix’s fourth-ever original series,Bloodlinehad an all-star cast of Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, Owen Teague, Beau Bridges, John Leguizamo, Chloë Sevigny, and more.The dynamic between Chandler and Mendelsohn was one of the best aspects of the seriesas two brothers who walked different paths in life and try to reconnect in their adulthood. Ben’s Danny character is the black sheep of the family who returns home to the idyllic Florida Keys, which causes major ripples for the family and their complicated past.
Bloodlineis completely character-driven, much like the aforementionedBig Little Lies, meaning that the performances from the ensemble cast are everything. Like House of Cards before it, Bloodline had a fantastic opening title sequence with a title track that pulled you in every time deep within the silent tensions and subtle ebb and flows between the characters.It’s one of those shows you may easily find yourself living in for a whileas the scenery is one of the most alluring components of the series. The classic “trouble in paradise” theme is modernized and expanded on thoughtfully, especially through Sam Shepard’s patriarch figure.
The First Two Seasons Of Bloodline Were Exceptional & Emmy-Winning
Critics raved about addictive Bloodline season 1 was
Bloodlineseason 1 was rated 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, winning over both fans and critics alike. David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporterwrote in his review ofBloodlineseason 1, “The talent on the roster is impressive indeed, and the Netflix full-season delivery model seems fortuitous in that Bloodline, on the basis of this sampling, begs to be binge-watched.” Mendelsohn won a Supporting Actor Emmy in 2016, which is another sign of the show’s critical acclaim and overall quality.The series had major potential to become one of Netflix’s all-time greatsif season 3 didn’t completely flop.
Why Netflix Ended Bloodline After Season 3
The showrunners originally planned 5 or 6 seasons
The creators ofBloodlinehad originally planned for the series to run for five or six seasons, meaning that the third season had to be put together outside of the initial vision.
The writers ofBloodlinewere apparently told halfway through writing season 3 that the series was getting canceled, which explains the complete downturn in the quality of the series towards the latter half of the third season. It was so bad that it basically created anotherDexterfinale-level controversy. There was also the end of the Florida tax incentive at the start of the third season, which made the show more expensive and vulnerable to getting axed.
One of theBloodlinecreators Todd A. Kessler spoke toVarietyabout the original plan for the series. “When we sold it to Netflix, that was the idea, that it would run in success for five or six seasons. And when we got the call, that they wanted us to end the Rayburns’ story after three seasons, it just meant looking at our notes for what we had planned for seasons four and five and six, and figuring out what we could pull and combine in order to make the most entertaining and emotionally satisfying and fulfilling story that we could.” Essentially,Bloodlineseason 3 is a culmination of three seasons that should have but never got made, which seems like a major missed opportunity.
Bloodline
Cast
Bloodline is a thriller directed by Glenn Kessler, in which a cosmetics heiress becomes the target of an elusive killer after her father’s murder, navigating the perilous intrigues of the international jet set.
