Treadstone is one of USA Network’s casualties in the 2019-2020 season. Should Amazon save the series from cancellation after one season?

Broadcast networks are making their decisions for the 2020-2021 season. That means some shows aren’t going to make it. Treadstone is one of those shows, canceled after one season.

TVLine reported the news about the cancellation of the Bourne-inspired series. However, there are questions about the potential future of the show. Could Amazon save the series?

Why was Treadstone canceled?

The decision for the cancellation isn’t all that surprising. Treadstone is one of three scripted shows so far canceled by USA Network in recent weeks. And it follows most of the scripted lineup, with Suits getting a final season order, the Suits spin-off Pearson canceled after one season, and Mr Robot confirmed ending after four seasons. USA Network is looking to make a change to its lineup, moving from scripted to unscripted to help save costs.

Scripted program costs more than unscripted to make. Because of that, the shows need to pull in decent linear ratings, especially on networks that rely on advertisement revenue. With the linear ratings drops, networks need to look at cutting costs on production and that means taking out shows that aren’t performing well.

Could Amazon save the series?

Of course, eyes are turning to streaming services to save favorite shows. Amazon is the likely place for Treadstone considering the international streaming deal. The Bourne franchise series was released as an Amazon Original internationally all at once, allowing fans to binge-watch to the end.

Now the question is whether enough people did binge-watch it. Amazon may look at the figures and decide a second season with the cost of production to consider isn’t worth the risk. Alternatively, the international ratings may be so strong that Amazon is more than willing to bring a second season.

The ratings were relatively steady throughout the first season on USA Network, and that was with it released weekly. Is there a chance that the show was watched intently by viewers who got to binge-watch it? This is one of those shows that takes a couple of viewings to get all the connections, whether you’ve watched the Bourne movies or not.

Caution: We’re getting into spoilers for Treadstone‘s finale here.

The Bourne Ultimate Collection [Blu-ray]

Does it need to be saved?

For the most part, the storyline of the first season was wrapped in the finale. However, there were some questions at the end. There’s certainly plenty of potential storylines for a second season. I personally want to see more of Petra and John after they finally reunited at the end of the finale.

We don’t really need more episodes to continue a tale. However, I’ll happily watch a second season. I love shows that are willing to make us think and focus. This isn’t a show you can scroll on Twitter or Facebook with. You need to pay attention and I’m always up for shows that are like that.

What did you think of Treadstone Season 1? Would you like a second season? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Treadstone is available on Amazon Prime Video internationally. You can buy it on Amazon Video in the U.S.