Well, farewell to you Resident Evil. We hardly knew ye as you had just begun as a series. What we did get to know was quite disappointing, though there was the glimmer of hope that maybe you could take the lessons from where you failed and turn them into something new. Alas, that was not to be as you met an early death from which there is no return.

In a late afternoon news dump on Friday, always the time for when you have positive information to share, the streaming service Netflix announced that the show would not be getting a second season. While this news was not entirely unsurprising after the series received almost universally negative critical reviews and a largely ambivalent audience response, there was still a sense that this was a missed opportunity. With all the time to delve into the story and build the world, a television series like this would have been well-suited to continue on into interesting new directions where many of the other previous adaptations fell short. If every show that was still trying to find its way got cancelled after one season, there would be a lot of good storytelling that we wouldn’t get. This series even had a more interesting narrative framing that jumped back and forth between two timelines, which could have easily been used for a narrative reset in an additional season. Unfortunately, any potential second wind for the show is unlikely and all the positives will now be tossed away.

Foremost amongst these was acclaimed actor Lance Reddick giving his all in providing, let's just say, many different takes on the series mainstay Dr. Albert Wesker. Unfortunately, the story and his character were done a disservice with where it took them. By the time it all arrived at the final episode, for those that were even able to make it that far, any residual narrative engagement had become rather tenuous. Without spoiling it for those of you maniacs who haven’t seen it but still would want to check out a series that is going nowhere, it ended with a cliffhanger that will now be left hanging for the rest of time. To offer a tentative defense of aspects of the show, it showed promise in some components like Reddick’s performance and a few sequences that will now be cut short. It is an open question whether history will consider this to be one of the poorer adaptations to date as there is some stiff competition for that illustrious title. Still, it is unfortunate that Resident Evil will now join one of the many that are being abandoned by the platform in the graveyard of discarded stories that is growing at a rather rapid pace in the ruthless world of streaming.

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Image via Netflix

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What this cancellation provides is an opportunity to discuss what it is that adaptations keep getting wrong with trying to take on the story. Even for those who could appreciate all the wild action of the many Milla Jovovich-centered movies, which never really seemed to care too much about the source material, there were increasingly diminishing returns to be found there. Prior to this series, one of the other recent attempts that actually was rather solid was in the film Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City. This may be a controversial take, but the basics of the actual storytelling were far superior to anything that has been done yet. For the seventh live-action film, which was basically a soft reboot, to be one of the better incarnations was a total surprise though a welcome one. It was by no means a masterpiece, but it actually felt like there was something dynamic happening that got you more invested in the experience as it was unfolding. While it got some praise for how it replicated the experience of the games, there was also just more genuine craft to the horror underpinning what was taking place. Perhaps this is damning with faint praise, but there is not a lot to latch onto when it comes to Resident Evil adaptations, which more than makes this one that stands out from the pack.

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Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

While it wasn’t entirely successful, this film could be potentially instructive for what future adaptations of the series can be if they build upon it. Even if you didn’t connect with it, there is something to admire in just taking on a more straightforward and stripped-down story. While this most recent series certainly tried to cover more, there is much to be appreciated in getting back to basics and focusing on creating a strong foundation for your story. There is never going to be enough time to cover everything, even as you may want to jam in as many references as possible, so better to do a few things well than many things poorly.

This plays into how the biggest issue is when adaptations try to please everyone as opposed to just charting their own path. If you devote attention to appealing to fans of the game’s story while also attempting to get broad appeal you will end up getting neither as the series recently demonstrated. Fan service without any narrative substance and craft is always going to feel hollow for everyone watching. Even when they are able to pick up on what is being referenced, these symbols are superficial if they don’t have any meaning or an interesting story to them.

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Image via Netflix

Above all else, one of the most definitive ways to ensure the video game will never get an adaptation that conveys the same sense of joy will be to pull the plug early. For all the many flaws of Paul W.S. Anderson’s films, it was not as though he wasn’t given many chances to experiment and explore each new adaptation. Part of the reason this new series was intriguing was because of how it represented a chance for a fresh take with a new creative team. Sure, the response was most certainly not the one that Netflix was looking for. However, rather than bail on something you already had put at least some investment into, why not use a follow-up season to try something new? At least then there could be new life for the story.

Even as there is the prevailing feeling that these may be games that just can’t be fully adapted, that isn’t a reason not to take a different tack and try again. What will guarantee that the story will continue to be untouchable is to give up. While we like to praise shows that immediately feel like they are spectacular from the jump, there is something to be said for continuing on and smoothing out the rough patches. If things always get the ax at the first sign of trouble, then we will lose out on the bold approaches that take time to grow and, hopefully, flourish.