Most of the time, we watch television to relax. We sit back on our cloud-like couch, rest our feet on the table, take a refreshing sip of our ice-cold drink, and pop a warm piece of buttery popcorn in our mouths while enjoying our program. Turning on the television is like entering a portal to one’s dream world. It’s a place where worries and stress are the characters that get written off, never to be seen again, and you get to live your best life as the main character— as it should be.
But what happens when your enjoyment is shattered? Like when you finish binge-watching your new favorite show, only to have the season finale end with a cliffhanger? And to make matters worse, the show announces it’s not expecting a series renewal. 😭 That feeling is a mutual one, experienced when a beloved show or movie announces a reboot or sequel with a new cast, or when you find out a favorite character has been written off with nothing but a meager excuse for their whereabouts, such as in And Just Like That… and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. It’s as if the “continuation” of the story is an entirely different narrative than the one you remember, the one you’ve shared laughs with, cried your heart out to, and inaudibly gasped at when tea was spilled. There’s no need to rewatch the first part of the series to give you a little refresher on the narrative, as there’s no sense of familiarity between parts one and two. It’s like the attempted revival is merely intended to use the success of the show or movie’s widely-known title to expect profit, as was the case with Mean Girls 2. The released reboot or sequel doesn’t do its title justice, as it lacks quality filming, is devoid of amusing and heartfelt scenes, and is not able to present the audience with that overall feeling of satisfaction when they’ve finished watching. It fails to satisfy the appetite of the viewer and their long-awaited craving for the main character’s next adventure. The whole watching experience is ruined for the viewer because it is a low-quality production in comparison to the first.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not completely against reboots or sequels. It just irks me when the revival introduces an entirely different feel to the characters’ storyline and disregards the viewers’ familiarity with the series’ world (so much for evoking nostalgia). I especially cannot stand a change in the cast, such as in House or The Fosters. At that point, I’ve already grown fond of the character and am looking forward to continuing the series with them. I don’t relish the idea of a memorable character getting written off or replaced by someone who cannot match the energy of the role. It may (or may not 👀) take me a while to warm up to the idea, but even so, there is no guarantee that I will come to terms with the sudden AND unnecessary change in the cast.
On that note, a message to the television show and film creators: if you are planning on ever making reboots or making a sequel to follow the success of a television show or movie, please STRONGLY consider leaving the program’s well-deserved success as is. EVEN THOUGH it is widely expressed that a continuation of the main character’s story is in high demand, pay no attention to such remarks, especially if you cannot deliver the original cast to the revival. That would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you.