First Kill’s Cancellation Continues A Netflix LGBTQ+ Problem

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First Kill was canceled after just one season, joining a growing list of Netflix Originals with female LGBTQ+ lead characters that never saw a second season. The reported reason for the cancellation was that the first season lacked in viewership and episode completions. Yet, First Kill recorded over 100 million streaming hours within the first month of release, far more than renewed Netflix originals like Heartstopper, leaving viewers questioning whether it was truly a viewing issue or part of perceived lesbophobia on Netflix's end.

Season 1 of First Kill, based on the short story of the same name by V.E. Schwab, revolved around the Burns, a Black family of monster hunters whose youngest daughter Calliope was looking for her first kill, and the Fairmonts, a family of Legacy vampires whose youngest daughter Juliette was also looking for her first kill. Throughout the eight-episode arc, Juliette and Calliope not only achieve their first kills but fall in love against the wishes of their families and communities. The cliffhanger finale would have opened up Savannah, Georgia to even more monsters and drama in First Kill season 2 had the show been renewed.

Related: Netflix's LGBTQ+ Rep Is Great (But We Can't Ignore The Problem)

Prior to the release of First Kill, LGBTQ community members urged subscribers to stream the series and for Netflix to provide more promotion for the show on social media in order for it to be a hit. After a string of one-season cancellations with leading LGBTQ female characters from Gypsy to Teenage BountyHunters, many community members anticipated First Kill following in their footsteps and attempted to save the show via viewership numbers. Due to this following, many had hoped for a second season,