A petition to saveThe Wheel of Timehas reached a significant milestone, prompting audiences to speculate about the show’s chances of a revival. After three seasons, Amazon announced itscancellation ofThe Wheel of Timein May, concluding the adaptation of Robert Jordan’s prolific epic fantasy saga with plenty of story left untouched. While the TV show was divisive among fans, particularly among those who had read the novels, it’s evidently accumulated an impressive, passionate following of its own.
Even before the show was cancelled, when there was uncertainty about a potential fourth season, fans ofThe Wheel of Timebegan working on apetitionto get the show renewed. Thepetition recently reached a significant milestone, surpassing 100,000 signatures, and as of the time of this article, it has earned over 131,000. This demonstration of passion is being orchestrated in response to the show’s tremendous third season, which was widely praised by critics and audiences, with a drastic improvement in scores on Rotten Tomatoes and other review sites.
What The Wheel Of Time’s Fan Petition Means
Petitions Have Worked Before, But The TV Landscape Has Changed
100,000+ signatures is an incredible demonstration of passion and loyalty, butit remains to be seen whether this is on Amazon’s radar or has any say in the company’s decision-making. TV shows have been saved by petitions or immense quantities of fan mail before, such asFriday Night Lights,Community, and evenStar Trek: The Original Series, which earned a third season and a subsequent movie series due to the passion of its fan base. These are seminal TV shows, but it’s worth noting that the television landscape has undergone drastic changes.
In the streaming age, platforms like Amazon are racing to produce content, hoping for something to catch on and be the next cultural phenomenon likeStranger ThingsorGame of Thrones.The Wheel of Time, for example, had a steep budget, but the viewership didn’t meet their expectations.With the amount of resources being expended on a project like this, the series simply needed more traction, and the poorly reviewed first two seasons likely prevented it from gathering the necessary viewership pool.
Our Take On The Wheel Of Time’s Fan Petition
Let’s Hope For The Star Trek Route
As mentioned,Star Trek: The Original Serieswas set to be canceled after two seasons, but a demonstration of support earned it a final season, as well as future movies. I’ve personally signed the petition forThe Wheel of Time, andalthough I won’t get my hopes up too high, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Amazon commissioning a final season, at least providing some closure, compared to the cliffhangers of season 3. The show’s future seems doubtful right now, but as Robert Jordan wrote inThe Eye of the World, “We can only watch, and study, and hope.”
