Scrolling through Netflix's mine of horror stories, one often digs out some gems worth recalling that are actually scary. Whether it is a wide range of poetic dramas or a bone-chilling horror core, the streaming giant has every taste covered. In September 2019, there arrived a French horror gem, Marianne, which became a surprise hit globally, accumulating high praise and great viewership for its intriguing plot. Through its graphic scares and character-driven storytelling, Marianne haunted audiences enough to make them clamor for more. Its atmospheric terror and surrealism distinguished it in Netflix's lineup, almost securing a sequel.

A terror so egregious can hardly be written off, for the mind remembers it all.

Back in January 2020, just a few months after the show first arrived on Netflix, the streaming giant cancelled it, something which it is notorious for. The show's creator, Samuel Bodin, confirmed through Instagram that Marianne would not return for season two. Despite ending with a cliffhanger demonic pregnancy, as well as earning high praise from Stephen King, the show was dropped, and the plans for the sequel never materialized. Initially, there was a three-season vision and not a mini-series format planned for Marianne, but Netflix ultimately announced that they would not order more after the initial 8 episodes. 

Though the show had garnered surprising international interest, perhaps the streaming numbers did not aid in changing the decision. In spite of discontinuation, Marianne's first utterly disturbing season is still available on Netflix across the globe. The series features Victoire Du Bois as Emma Larsimon, a horror writer who finds that her imaginary demons come to life in the woeful real world, turning it upside down. Lucie Boujenah as Camille, Tiphaine Daviot as Aurore, and Ralph Amoussou as Séby form the other key characters, leaving behind stories that could have been explored further in a second season. With poignant music and eerie visuals, the series set the ideal stage for suffocating nightmares.

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Netflix may have closed the door on Marianne, but the storyline continues to tease the imagination about what could have been.

Samuel Bodin had even more lucrative ideas for the series, structuring it as a three-act narrative that would keep horror fans glued to the edge of their seats till the very end. Bodin and his writing partner began writing for Marianne season 2, when Netflix canceled it, as he revealed his plans on the Phantom Limbs podcast, transcribed by Bloody Disgusting. In that never-made chapter, the show would explore Emma's phantom pregnancy following the one-night stand with a demon, guised as Séby. The story would also follow her failure as a writer as she tried to find her identity between her imagination and demonic possession. Thematically, the season would shift toward unambiguous love between Emma and Camille while keeping the scares intact; a missed opportunity.

Bodin also intended to expand the best-selling witch horror author, Emma's small town location by bringing portions of the story into the city and coastal landscapes to untangle their destinies further. However, as is universally known, Netflix is notorious for cancelling beloved shows. Marianne's cancellation came as a shock as it boasts a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes with rave reviews from viewers and critics who enjoyed its cohesive combination of metafiction, countryside horror, and psychological tension, adding to its enticing distinctiveness. 

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Have you watched Marianne yet? Tell us your thoughts on whether it deserved another season in the comments below.