According to a recent podcast interview with Matt Rogers, the adult-animated sitcom Q-Force will not return for a second season on Netflix. The series, created by Titmouse Inc, was about a group of secret agents who were all LGBTQ and went on extraordinary adventures. On September 2nd, 2021, all eight episodes of the first season were released globally on Netflix. Sean Hayes, Matt Rogers, Wanda Sykes, Patti Harrison, Gary Cole, and David Harbour all had prominent roles in Q-Force.
Since the programme included stereotypical characters, it was criticised from the first trailer up until it was released. Even after it was released, the criticism persisted, albeit it was not as harsh as when the first batch of trailers were released.
Reviews for the show weren’t quite as bad when it finally arrived on Netflix in September of last year, but they were still far from favourable. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a 29 percent approval rating; however, its 6.4/10 rating on IMDb is considerably more commendable.
The animated series received a rather unfavourable review from Michael Blackmon of BuzzFeed News, who wrote: “Weighed down by derivative characters and unimaginative humour about queerness, Q-Force is hit or miss.”
Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian(opens in new tab) was even harsher, rating the programme just 2 stars and claiming that its main flaw is that “it is not really humorous,” while also drawing unfavourable similarities to better-written adult animated series. “In its first episodes, you can see the gags coming a mile away,” she concluded, “and it left me thinking that animation and humour are all lot more sophisticated now.”
What caused the cancellation of Q-Force?
Netflix appears to have a strong preference for adult animated comedies. The streamer provides subscribers with a diverse selection of shows ranging from critical darlings like Bojack Horseman and Big Mouth to less popular shows like Hoops, Chicago Party Aunt, and Paradise PD.
With so much competition on the platform in the same category and unfavourable reviews, it’s not surprising that Q-Force didn’t generate enough interest to entice Netflix to greenlight a second season.
It should be mentioned, though, that the programme does seem to have its followers. Despite having a dismal reviewer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, viewers gave the show a respectable 78 percent audience rating, which may indicate that viewers who gave the show a chance like the show’s mix of oddball characters and gross-out jokes. Unfortunately, the show’s quick cancellation would imply that not many people gave Q-Force a fair shot in the first place.
Over the past few years, Netflix has repeatedly shown that it is not afraid to be harsh when it comes to cancelling projects, even when they are popular with fans. Additionally, it’s possible that the streamer decided against creating future episodes due to the ongoing dispute.