Supernatural sci-fi seriesThe OAmight have been canceled by Netflix back in 2019, but the show’s dedicated fanbase still hopes it could return in the coming years.The OA’s cancellation six years ago came as a shock, given the universal acclaim it received across its two seasons, and clamor for a comeback season only seems to be growing louder.
Having inadvertently emulated the series that inspired it,David Lynch’s TV showTwin Peaks, by also getting axed after two seasons,The OAis just as worthy of a revival as its influential forerunner,which returned to the small screen in 2017. It might only be a matter of time until fans get their wish with this streaming series, too.
The OA’s cancellation by Netflix hurt the show’s audience even more because of the tantalizing cliffhanger with which it ended season 2. Since then, the show’s following has been looking for theconnections it might have toA Murder at the End of the World, the follow-up project ofThe OA’s creators, Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij.
The OA Season 2 Ended On A Cliffhanger Before It Was Canceled
It Introduced One Of The Most Extraordinary Meta Storylines In TV History
In an extraordinary twist no one saw coming,The OAseason 2 ended on a multidimensional cliffhangerthat was ambitious even by the show’s enviable standards. While the series had already dealt extensively in different dimensions before the last episode of its second season,the dimension introduced in the final scene of this episode was something else entirely.
The OA’s season 2 cliffhanger is one of TV’s great meta moments, which saw the show’s protagonist, Prairie Johnson, enter the real world alongside Jason Isaacs’ character, Hap. The pair suddenly found themselves on the set of a television show, with their names now identical to those of the actors who played them inThe OA.
It remains one of the most brilliantly bizarre conclusions to a TV show in recent years, which has left fans speculating about its meaning.
Given thatthe series never had the chance to explain this ending, it remains one of the most brilliantly bizarre conclusions to a TV show in recent years, which has left fans speculating about its meaning. The inconsistencies betweenThe OA’s “real world” and our own — where Brit Marling and Jason Isaacs aren’t married, for example — only add to the intrigue.
The Lack Of Closure For The OA’s Is Still Frustrating 6 Years Later
We Never Got To See The Real-World Dimension Explained
The OAis a particularly prominent instance ofsci-fi shows taken from us too soon, and anyone who’s watched and enjoyed the series will struggle to get over Netflix leaving us in the lurch with the show’s extraordinary cliffhanger.It’s so plainly obvious that season 2 was never meant to be the last that we can’t help but hold onto our frustration.
A whole new mind-bending plot thread being introduced at the climax of the second seasonanticipated a further instalment ofThe OA, which would elevate the show to another level of greatness. For this plot thread to be cut short as soon as it was introduced has left us with a deeply unsatisfying lack of closure.
What The Cast And Crew Of The OA Have Said About The Show’s Future
Jason Isaacs, Brandon Perea & Zal Batmanglij Are All Ready For The OA To Return
The good news for fans ofThe OAis that many of the show’s cast are just as desperate for a third season as we are.Alfonso “French” Sosa actorBrandon Perea responded to a question aboutThe OA’s futurein 2024 by suggesting that the story might not be over.
Perea gave us even more reason to be optimistic when he mentioned that the show co-creator Zal Batmanglij was “hopeful” of its return at some point. These sentiments seem to be in line withvirtually the entire cast ofThe OA, who seem quite eager to reprise their respective roles.
Since The OA’s cancellation, Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling have worked together again on the acclaimed FX mystery thrillerA Murder at the End of the World.
In comments at the 2025 Fan Expo in Denver,Jason Isaacs claimed the entire cast is committed to finishingThe OA.This revelation is the most promising update yet about the show’s future, as it definitely puts to bed any concerns that key cast members might not come back for a prospective third season of the series.
Meanwhile, the comments made byThe OA’s co-creator and central star Brit Marlingabout the potential for season 3 have been more equivocal, as she’s described coming to terms with the fact that the show is over in her mind.On the other hand, Marling hasn’t ruled outThe OAreturning, under “the right conditions and circumstances”.
Why The OA Deserves To Come Back
Such A Great Show Needs A Proper Ending
The OA’s substantial fanbase and overwhelmingly positive critical appraisals makeits cancellation one of the most baffling decisions taken by a streaming giantduring the past decade. One Netflix executive has even admitted how sad she was when the show was axed. Cindy Holland addressed thecontroversy surroundingThe OA’s cancellationback in 2023.
Given the note on which this inimitable sci-fi series was prematurely cut short,its creators deserve the chance to giveThe OAan ending befitting its statusas an overlooked classic in Netflix’s back catalog. The show has only grown in stature since its cancellation, and is regularly placed among the best 21st-century releases in its genre.
It’s high timeThe OAwas revived, not just for its fans and cast members, but for the good of sci-fi television. With Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij open to writing and producing a third season, the ball is in Netflix’s court.
