There’s a wealth of excellent science fiction on television, with shows like *Silo*, *Black Mirror*, and *Fallout* transporting viewers to imaginative and often surprising worlds filled with advanced technology. However, not every sci-fi series succeeds. Sometimes, a show just doesn’t quite click – and one particularly dark series on Prime Video might be worth revisiting.
Prime Video’s *Utopia*, which aired for one season in 2020, was a remake of a British show with the same title. Originally developed for HBO with David Fincher as director, the project moved to Amazon with Gillian Flynn taking on the role of showrunner. The series starred Sasha Lane, Rainn Wilson, Jessica Rothe, John Cusack, and others, premiering on September 25, 2020, but was cancelled the following November.
What Happened to Utopia?
Amazon hasn’t given a clear reason for canceling *Utopia*, but the timing of its release likely played a big role. The show premiered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while some series did well then, *Utopia*’s subject matter just didn’t resonate. The story centers on a group of comic book enthusiasts who uncover a frightening worldwide plot. They realize a mysterious underground comic, also called *Utopia*, contains information about future diseases. This comic seems to predict events, hinting at a plan to create a fake viral outbreak and then distribute a ‘vaccine’ that actually sterilizes people—a scheme designed to reduce the global population and prevent ecological collapse.
The premise of comic book fans battling powerful figures is engaging, but looking at it objectively, the show’s failure is understandable. It launched at a time when people were still struggling with a serious virus, and the new vaccine was already sparking debate and mistrust. The timing was simply off, and for some, the story may have felt too relevant and unsettling.
The show *Utopia* was surprisingly violent, with children often being killed. Beyond that, the main characters faced constant danger as they were pursued by a mysterious group while trying to prevent a global catastrophe. It was a very dark and bloody series, and when combined with its story about a worldwide vaccine conspiracy, it proved to be overwhelming for many viewers.
Five Years Later, Utopia Deserves a Second Chance
Despite its flaws, the series *Utopia* deserves a second look after five years. The show’s storyline about a virus and vaccine conspiracy actually feels more relevant and believable now that we’re further removed from the initial pandemic. While still complex and challenging, it reads more like science fiction than it did in 2020. The ending also leaves room for a continuation – a time jump could reveal how the cliffhanger resolves, especially considering the major revelations about Jessica and the vaccine’s creator. It would be compelling to see where the story could go, and how different Prime Video’s *Utopia* could become from the original UK series, which also ended on a dark note after two seasons and twelve episodes.
Both the US and UK versions of Utopia are available to stream on Prime Video.
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2025-10-12 16:58