Netflix’s original show, The Brothers Sun, is one of the platform’s most acclaimed shows of the year. But with it recently being canceled after a single season, fans of the show are seeing uncanny similarities with the fateful ending of another beloved Netflix crime drama.
The Brothers Sun includes a multi-talented cast and stars Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. A dark comedy-drama with soap opera elements, the show has been a major success with Netflix viewers since its initial release on January 4.
The hype was real when Netflix first teased the show’s premise – with its official trailer racking up 2.4 million views.
The reason for this initial success could be thanks to the trailer incorporating each of the elements that made the show so great: dark comedy, family drama and top-notch acting!
The Addictive Plot Of Netflix’s The Brothers Sun
The axed Netflix show centers on the Sun family, who are led and guided by Eileen ‘Mama’ Sun (Yeoh) along with her sons, Bruce Sun (Sam Song Li) and Charles Sun (Justin Chien).
After experiencing the shock realisation of his family having a criminal background in Taiwan, their native country, Bruce’s entire world dramatically changes almost instantly.
As their father survives an assassination attempt, Bruce’s brother Charles must imminently relocate to Los Angeles in order to protect his family’s lives.
That’s about all we can say about the plot without ruining the enjoyable mysteries.
The Critical Adoration Of Netflix’s Hit Show
But what is clear is that critics adored the premise of The Brothers Sun. Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes are typically a good indicator of a show’s critical success.
With The Brothers Sun receiving an 84% rating, it is evident that – though short-lived – the Netflix show garnered a great deal of acclaim during its one-season run.
You know a Netflix show is a must-watch series when critics such as Nicola Austin from Empire Magazine call it one of the year’s “first binge-worthy shows” and give it a 4-star rating!
Another 4-star critical review from Joyce Slaton of Common Sense Media praised the Netflix show for being “propulsive and thrilling; this series has the vibe of action-thriller yarns like John Wick.”
The general public had even more positive things to say about Brothers Sun, giving the show 7.6 stars on IMDb and a whopping 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes!
The Reason Behind Season Two’s Cancellation
But critical scores don’t make Netflix money, and unfortunately the streaming platform took the plunge and axed the show altogether two months after the first season aired.
You may be wondering why a show that enjoyed five weeks on the platform’s top ten list would even be considered for an early cancellation. But that’s down to The Brothers Sun enduring a less impressive longevity ratings-wise on the streaming platform.
According to Deadline, the show’s weekly ratings dipped below the seven million mark. Yet worryingly, the show’s final two weeks within Netflix’s top ten list was accompanied by a significantly lower audience of only two million.
Considering the initial widespread hype of the show, the nosedive in audience numbers was clearly the catalyst for pulling the plug on it altogether.
Deja Vu Regarding The Brothers Sun‘s Cancellation
Eagle-eyed Netflix viewers immediately noticed the stunning similarities between the show’s axing and another popular hit Netflix original series being unexpectedly canceled last year.
Mindhunter was a beloved crime drama series set in 1972, which saw the happenings of two FBI agents – Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany).
Accompanying the two agents was expert psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) – with the series showing the three characters’ experiences while working in the security service’s recently launched Behavioral Science Unit (BSU).
The hit show saw the trio skilfully interview infamous criminals – which could subsequently help in determining the characteristics of a serial killer during the term’s early stages of development.
The show was a fictional representation of the real-life BSU investigations, which focused on some of America’s most infamous criminals – including Charles Manson and Ed Kemper.
Is Netflix Alienating Audiences With Cancellations?
David Fincher, show-runner of the ill-fated Mindhunter, stated that Netflix decided to abruptly axe his show due to the production costs being too high in comparison with viewership figures.
Now, in 2024, fans of The Brothers Sun are adamant that the show has been axed for the same reason – and are worried about other fan-favorite Netflix original series.
With many acclaimed shows perhaps not immediately gaining mass viewership levels, fans fear that Netflix may axe others at a faster pace.
One member of Reddit’s r/netflix community commented: “Just sucks to get invested into a show on season one that will inevitably end in a cliffhanger that will never be resolved.”
Another Reddit user finds the platform’s move counterproductive: “This will ultimately be the downfall of Netflix. Not every show that streams well does so right out of the gate. Some shows take time to find their audience, and when they do, that’s when they find their success.”
