Bloodline Season 4: Cancelled or Renewed By Netflix? Will there be Another Series?

Govind Dhiman

3 years ago

Bloodline Season 4: The Rayburns were always a special, but ultimately tragic, family because they were mysterious, intriguing, and a little over-dramatic. In 2015, Netflix introduced us to the messed-up Florida family, introducing us to a dysfunctional group whose sense of self-importance and loyalty would eventually lead to their downfall. In the wake of the success of House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black, which kicked off the streaming revolution two years prior, Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman, and Glenn Kessler crafted a compelling tale of treachery with Bloodline. However, the third season of the series was canceled in 2016. Season 4 of Bloodline was finally over. What just transpired?

Why did Netflix decide to canceled Bloodline?

Only a few months after the series was renewed for a third season, the show’s creators were informed that Season 3 would be the final season. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news in a 2016 cover story about Netflix, implying that the company was experiencing financial difficulties and later noting that the future of the Florida-set show had been called into question after the state “cut its entertainment tax incentives program, making the series much more expensive to produce.” (According to Vulture, Netflix was being forced to pay “between $7 million and $8.5 million per hour.” Because Bloodline’s long-term viability had been in doubt from the beginning, the split was handled amicably in the media, with the creators stating that they would adjust their plans and Netflix telling the trades that they were “looking forward to the exciting climax” that would take place in May 2017. Leaving aside the satirical nature of the cancellation, it was an uncommon step for the streaming service, which had previously only canceled two other original programs: Hemlock Grove and Lilyhammer.

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Is there going to Bloodline season 4?

“Even when we proposed the program, we had thoughts for what five, six seasons of the show could be because it was extremely important to us to think about, ‘How does this evolve season by season?'” Zelman said in an interview with Variety ahead of the show’s launch.

Instead, the Rayburn drama would be wrapped up in a shortened third season (10 episodes instead of the originally planned 13), which… given how miserable everyone was in the series finale… may have been a blessing in disguise for the show’s writers. Six seasons of Bloodline, a program that became about pointless atonement with nary a hint of salvation, would almost certainly have placed it in the race for the title of Most Depressing Show Ever.

What changes did Bloodline make for Season 3?

Following the cancellation of Bloodline, the show’s creators proceeded to reevaluate their plot arcs and streamline the ideas they had for the second half of the season. The result was the series’ third season. According to Todd Kessler, executive producer of the show, “it simply meant looking through our notes for what we had planned for seasons four, five, and six, and figuring out what we could pull and combine in order to make the most entertaining, emotionally satisfying, and fulfilling story that we could,” Variety reported. The Rayburns were held accountable for their acts — particularly the major protagonist, John (Kyle Chandler), whose remorse tore him apart until the show’s final minutes — and certain character arcs (such as Linda Cardellini’s Meg) was wrapped up in a shorter amount of time.

How did things turn out?

Season 3 of Bloodline was widely regarded as the most unsuccessful of the show’s three seasons. Some commentators were dissatisfied with the lack of screen time given to two of the series’ most prominent actors, Linda Cardellini and Ben Mendelsohn. Others were dissatisfied with the storyline developments. Because, while the primary Season 3 performers (Kyle Chandler, Norbert Leo Butz, and Sissy Spacek) delivered outstanding performances, as they had in previous seasons, the same old settings they were presented — more murders, more cover-ups, and more lies — became tedious after a while. Consequently, the general view was that a show that began as a suspenseful story about deception and betrayal became too devious, too directionless, and eventually too pricey for its own good. In fact, it is a little unjust in this case.) They had the terrible challenge of reducing three seasons of plot into one season, and they should be commended for producing something that was nonetheless emotionally impactful.

Was the conclusion satisfactory?

Both yes and no. It brought the show to a close, but there was no true resolution. In case you need a quick refresher: The series comes to a climax with John (Ben Mendelsohn) addressing his nephew, Nolan (Owen Teague), and telling the boy the truth about his father’s (Ben Mendelsohn) death after several heartbreaking minutes. In a manner that is not dissimilar to that of the Sopranos series finale, the screen goes dark before any words are exchanged between the two characters. It came out of nowhere in a way that elicited a mixed response. According to IndieWire, “Bloodline did not have an unfair ending.” As Collider put it, “the final two episodes of the series seemed like someone was sweeping up in the writers’ office and chose to finish the program with pieces of ideas from the floor.” “Can you tell me what he says?” In its glowing summary, Vulture posed the question. The final say will be in your hands. However, as Todd Kessler said to The Hollywood Reporter, this was done on purpose: “The goal of that ending is for the audience to be able to continue up just where they left off. It’s not intended to be deceptive. But we’re not going to respond to it.”

Where have the Rayburns vanished to?

There were several characters whose fates were up in the air, including John. As for the others, Meg had fled to Los Angeles and was apparently living a very not-guilt-free life under a false identity; Diana and the kids had abandoned John to move into the “new place”; Sally was… very drunk, but also trying to figure out what she should do with the Inn before the sea claimed it; and Kevin and Belle were apprehended by the feds before they could flee the country. Their stories all had “endings,” to be sure, but not in the traditional sense. In a statement to THR after the finale aired, the filmmakers stated that everyone’s search for purpose and identity “continues.”

So… does this indicate that Bloodline is officially no longer in existence?

Because the characters’ stories are still playing in viewers’ imaginations, it’s entertaining to envisage a scenario in which there might be a rebirth of the show. (The bizarre phenomenon that is Roseanne 2.0 has also demonstrated that anything is possible in today’s television wasteland.) Bloodline, on the other hand, is almost completely finished at the moment. According to Todd Kessler, who spoke to reporters last year, the show’s conclusion was “pretty joyous,” thereby putting an end to expectations that it might be saved by a different streaming service or network. It “feels like a whole piece, which I believe is the purpose of storytelling,” says the author.