The Real Reason Amazon Canceled Utopia

American remakes of cult classics from overseas are usually met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Utopia, which has a middling 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, is no different. When critics got ahold of the show, many didn't think the adaptation held a candle to the original. And even beyond those comparisons, some just didn't think the show was very successful as a piece of entertainment.

Writing for Time, Judy Berman called the series unbearable, writing, "It exploits some of contemporary civilization's greatest anxieties without saying anything worth hearing about them." Meanwhile, Caroline Framke of Variety enjoyed the show's quick pace, but clarified, "For every genuine surprise, there are five more 'twists' that were telegraphed from five miles away." She also said that the show's jumble of different elements ended up "flattening" the series, rather than making it more dynamic.

The series' use of mass shootings, deadly pandemics, and scenes of extreme violence and torture was heavily criticized by those who felt that the shocking elements were neither in good taste nor handled particularly well. Roxana Hadidi of AV Guide wrote, "Utopia relies on at least one scene of staggering violence per episode to move the plot forward, but all that does is underscore how the show fails at building the apocalyptic stakes."

There was one criticism in particular that may hold a clue as to why the show ended up getting canceled after just one season.