Divya Meena
Based on the hit movie franchise of the same name, ‘The Purge’ is a futuristic anthology horror series. In a similar vein to its big-screen counterparts, the show’s premise is built around the titular annual event, a 12-hour period during which all crimes, including murder, is legal in an altered America ruled by a despotic political party. The small-screen adaptation took an anthology approach, with the two seasons following different sets of seemingly disjointed characters as they fight the Purge to the finish.
The second season delves deep into the aftermath of the Purge night we see in season 1 and showcases its impact on the lives of four interconnected characters over the ensuing 364 days, all inexorably leading up to the next Purge. The season 2 finale features a special guest making his return to the franchise,Ethan Hawke, who is the lead of the original movie. So, will the viewers get to see another Purge night in continuation of the series? Let’s find out!
The Purge Season 3 Release Date: Canceled or Renewed?
‘The Purge’ season 2 premiered on October 15, 2019, on the USA Network. It wrapped up on December 17, 2019, after airing ten episodes. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in May 2020, the network announced the show’s cancellation after two seasons. The network pulling the plug on the project came as a shock to its fans, mainly due to its remarkably promising beginning.
Created by James DeMonaco, the second season garnered more than half the audience it attracted for its inaugural run in 2018. While the ratings and viewership statistics didn’t help, there were other reasons at work that ultimately tipped the scales against the show’s fate. It’s a rippling effect of a larger programming shift at USA Network, which plans to steer away from original scripted content and focus on unscripted and live programming to appeal to the key demographic.
This decision could be because, by and large, scripted shows haven’t fared well for them in the past. ‘The Purge’ is not the only show that got handed bad cards. Other shows bearing the brunt of their programming strategy include ‘Treadstone’ and ‘Dare Me,’ both short-lived as the network proceeded to put an end to them after just one season.
In the time of streaming mammoths of the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime, the network is striving to double down on its areas of strength, including WWE programming and unscripted shows like ‘Chrisley Knows Best’ and ‘Temptation Island’. So as of today, ‘The Purge’ season 3 stands officially canceled. It certainly had potential, but the fans would have to take solace in the fact that the movie franchise will still grace them with other editions.
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