The Wilds Is Officially Not Coming Back For Season 3

After introducing a new all-male crew of teen castaways in Season 2, The Wilds ended on a major cliffhanger involving their stranded female counterparts. As “Phase 3” had just officially begun on screen — and a shocking mole was revealed — it only seemed natural that The Wilds Season 3 would follow as well. Unfortunately, on July 28, Deadline confirmed that the Amazon Studios show would not be renewed for a third season.

When Season 2 picked up, the group of teenage girls was continuing their quest for survival after their staged ocean plane crash — still unaware they’re actually part of scientist Gretchen Klein’s (Rachel Griffiths) social experiment. Meanwhile, Gretchen’s all-male control group was just beginning their island survivalist journey. While acknowledging some early fan “pushback” showrunner Sarah Streicher recently explained to TVLine that bringing the boys into the ensemble ultimately provides “this new lens on the adolescent experience” to explore.

“I think when [viewers] invest themselves in the characters, they’ll be on this journey of watching how the boys are performing in relation to the girls,” she told the website. “There’s going to be a sense of, ‘The girls didn’t do it quite like that,’ and I think that stepping into Gretchen’s shoes will be a little bit of a thrill.”

The Season 2 finale saw the boys and girls stranded together on a new island, marking the beginning of “Phase 3,” for Gretchen’s experiment in The Wilds, which would have lined up perfectly with a third season of the show. Now that the show will not be picked up for another, it’s unclear if there will be any confirmation from showrunners about the fates of the characters.

Why Was The Wilds Canceled?

Deadline did not report a reason for the cancelation of The Wilds, and as of July 29, series creator Sarah Streicher and showrunner Amy Harris have not spoken out about it. Season 2 of the survivalist show generally received favorable ratings, going Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and receiving mostly positive reviews from critics.

Fans are urging other streaming services to pick up the show for a third season to resolve the Season 2 cliffhanger. Many people online are upset that the show is being canceled after canonizing the relationship between Shelby and Toni, referencing a larger pattern of LGBTQ shows being canceled on streaming services after only one or two seasons.

The Wilds Cast Reacts To The Show's Cancellation

A few hours after news of the cancelation was confirmed, fans of the show were quick to jump to social media to express their disappointment, frustration, and need for a third season. Some members of the cast also took to their platforms to share their thoughts on the show’s ending.

Mia Healey, who played the Texas-born pageant queen Shelby Goodkind, reacted to the show’s cancelation with a bittersweet Instagram post. “I love you all, I love you Shelby. I am forever changed & eternally grateful,” Healey wrote.

Other members of the cast posted their reactions via Instagram stories. Rachel Griffiths, who plays Gretchen Klein, posted a sentimental story voicing her thoughts. “So proud of the young actors on this show and what they achieved over two seasons,” Griffiths wrote. “I’ve never loved my bosses as much as Amy Harris & Sarah Streicher. #Dreamers #Builders #ladybosses.” She posted her message on top of a promotional photo of the show’s cast.

Shannon Berry, who plays Dot Campbell, a tough Texan who’s knowledgable about survivalist techniques, also posted an Instagram story expressing her sadness. On top of a cast photo with the main girls of The Wilds, Berry wrote “thank you dottie for being the most amazing part of these past 4 years. I will miss this unsinkable forever.”

Season 2 star Alex Fitzalan, who played Seth Novak, also posted a reaction on his Instagram story to the show’s cancelation. Fitzalan, who is also promoting the upcoming film Chevalier, wrote, “Weird day to have a premiere announcement and a cancellation announcement.” He said, “Was so sad to hear about the wilds not going ahead for s3. I hate having to write posts like these. So sorry to those who loved and watched and thank you immensely as always for supporting.” He used a photo of himself with spilled food as the background, writing “This is the official pic for Spillz’s instagram ha,” referencing the fictional account his character runs to document food spills.

Fans of the show took to social media to tweet, comment, and post to let The Wilds and Amazon Prime Video know that they want a third season. Some fans went as far as to speculate on why the show wasn’t picked up by the studio, blaming low ratings and the show’s decision to become more male-centric in its second season.

Ultimately, the cancellation of The Wilds is upsetting news to lovers of the show. It’s unclear if there will be any resolution for where the plot stands, but fans can only hope series creator Sarah Streicher speaks out about the cancelation sometime soon.