Queer favourite Prime Video TV show Cruel Intentions axed: ‘You will be missed’
Cruel Intentions has been cancelled at Prime Video. (Prime Video)
Prime Video’s queer-inclusive TV show Cruel Intentions has been cancelled after just one season.
The drama, which starred The White Lotus actress Sarah Catherine Hook and One Night actor Zac Burgess as step-siblings Caroline Merteuil and Lucien Belmont, had only debuted on Prime Video in November.
Yet the eight-episode series didn’t manage to make an impression on the streaming platform, failing to land on the Nielsen Top 10 Streaming charts, and proving to be a critical failure, with a dismal 24 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Variety confirmed yesterday (10 March) that the Cruel Intentions TV show, which was a TV reinvention of the 1999 Sarah Michelle Gellar film of the same name, would not be returning for a second outing.
Both Cruel Intentions the film and TV show are a a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses.
As per the show’s synopsis, Cruel Intentions “follows the elite students of Manchester College, where ruthless step-siblings, Caroline and Lucien, will do anything to stay on top of the cutthroat social hierarchy.”
It continues: “After a brutal hazing incident threatens all of Greek Life, they’ll do whatever is necessary to preserve their power and reputation, even if that means seducing the daughter of the Vice President.”
Unlike the Michelle Gellar film, which has attracted both queer cult fandom and criticism for its inclusion of homophobic insults, the Cruel Intentions TV show was praised for its inclusion of queer characters, namely Blaise Powell (John Harlan Kim) and Scott Russell (Khobe Clarke).
Online, the cancellation of Cruel Intentions has left fans in turmoil.
“Cruel Intentions reboot you gave me a cool, awkward, possibly queer, black girl and for that I thank you. IDGAF if y’all hated the show. I had fun! Annie Grover, you will be missed,” wrote one person.
“Actually gutted, I thought it was really good,” wrote another.
A third added: “Saw it coming but I still hoped Amazon would give it another shot. I enjoyed this cast. Damn.”
Cruel Intentions season one is streaming on Prime Video now.
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