Netflix Cancels ‘Gentefied’ After Two Seasons

We know we weren’t the only ones hoping for a third season of Netflix’s Gentefied. Executive produced by Honduran-American actress America Ferrera, the Latinx dramedy has given voice to the unique Mexican-American experience in heavily Latinx neighborhood in Los Angeles, Afro-Latinx/Latinx representation, and LGBTQIA+ storylines that don’t feel rushed or tokenized. Since the pilot, Gentefied has become a beloved piece of the Latinx community, starring a stellar main cast that included Karrie Martin Lachney (Ana), J.J. Soria (Erik), Carlos Santos (Chris), and Annie Gonzalez (Lidia). But just yesterday, the streaming service giant announced that it’s canceling Gentefied after only two seasons and only two months after the second season premiered.

Back in February 2020, the first season received critical acclaim upon its release, especially for its handling of complex issues like immigration, generational trauma, and colorism. When the second season dropped last November, it received similar stellar reviews but never appeared in the Netflix Top 10 list. This list tracks what is being most watched on the platform and plays a critical role in what films receive sequels and which Netflix original shows get picked up for another season. Overall, Netflix considers production cost, viewership stats, and critical reception when deciding what to cut short. This time around, that process didn’t favor Gentefied. 

Unfortunately, this is now becoming an all too familiar story with Netflix. Back in 2019, they also canceled the beloved and critically acclaimed series One Day at a Time after three seasons before it was picked up by Pop TV. The following year, Netflix decided to shut down production on The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia after only one season. It was the only Latinx show on the platform written for kids that highlighted brown female excellence in the sciences and co-created by Mario Lopez. 

It’s clear Netflix enjoys creating shows with intersectional representation and receiving praise, only to abandon the project after they don’t market it well and wonder why its viewership ratings fall. 

“You’re as successful as your network wants you to be in terms of what they’re investing in you, and how much they’re making sure you’re part of the conversation culturally,” America Ferrera previously told Variety. “But what I hope for is that the cultural mentality can shift from the tokenism of only having one Latin show or one Latin character or one Latin success to a much more complicated and multidimensional view of who the Latinx community is. Everyone’s got a long way to go on that one.”

Thankfully, Gentefied’s co-creators Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez are continuing to make waves for the Latinx community in media and entertainment. Lemus is directing and executive producing CW’s Hipster Death Rattle and Chávez recently sealed an overall deal with 20th Television. She is also collaborating again with America Ferrera on the upcoming Netflix film adaptation of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. 

Additional Latinx-led projects that are upcoming for Netflix include On My Block‘s spin-off Freeridge and Griselda, a film starring Sofia Vergara who is alos set to executive produce.

Both seasons of Gentefied are available to stream on Netflix.