On the surface, Trickster looks to be a great service. It’s inclusive, helps to push Indigenous actors into lead roles, and shows positive Indigenous relationships.

And yet, CBC has made the decision not to renew the show for Season 2. In fact, Trickster Season 2 was originally going to happen and now the plans have been canceled.

According to CBC News, the supernatural series had been renewed and writing had started. The plan was to air the season in the second half of 2021, and it would have likely been picked up by The CW for the off-season programming just like other Canadian acquisitions.

So, what’s happened? Why is the show now canceled?

Trickster may be canceled due to controversy

While it hasn’t been officially confirmed, it looks like the cancellation comes from the controversy around co-creator and director Michelle Latimer’s Indigenous claims. In the summer of 2020, her claims of heritage were scrutinized heavily.

It led to her stepping away from the series, but that doesn’t seem to be enough to help keep it on the air. CBC’s head of public affairs, Chuck Thompson, says that the second season isn’t happening out of respect of everyone’s wishes.

It’s certainly a shame considering the positivity that came from this show. However, there’s a chance too many people would have boycotted it after the controversy from last year.

My hope is that another series will come up after CBC has seen the success of this one. We need more shows like this that offer Indigenous actors the spotlight.

You can read the novel Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson ($), which the series was based on. There are more books to continue the story.

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What did you think of Trickster? What would you like to see from CBC next? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Trickster is available to watch on CBC Gem.