Netflix is about to add a forgotten Prime Video show to its library, yet it’s unsure if this could lead to a revival. And that's potentially for a good reason.
One of the biggest boosts to Netflix is how they can acquire a show, including one from a rival steamer, and have it suddenly explode in popularity. It’s happened with Suits and most recently, the Paramount+ sci-fi series Halo, which got bigger numbers on Netflix than it did on its original home.
Now this could be happening again as our sister site Netflix Life reports that on Friday, Nov. 14, the streamer will have all three seasons of the Prime Video crime thriller Absentia
The show aired on the AXN streamer in 2017 and premiered on Prime Video the following year. A second season followed, with the third and final season becoming a Prime Video exclusive in 2020.
The series was removed from Prime Video due to the rights fees running out. It was created by Sony Television, which regularly licenses shows to Netflix. That’s going to be a good thing for viewers to discover this hidden gem of a crime thriller.
What is Absentia about?
The series stars Stana Katic (famous for her role as Kate Beckett on Castle) as Emily Byrne, an FBI agent who goes missing after hunting a deadly serial killer. Six years after she was presumed dead, Emily returns with no memory of where she’s been. She discovers her husband, David (Patrick Heusinger), has remarried, and their son barely remembers her.
As she tries to reintegrate into her life, Emily soon becomes the suspect in a new series of murders that can lead her to unlock her memories. The second and third seasons continue Emily’s personal investigation into a dark conspiracy as she keeps trying to reconnect with her family.
The show got decent reviews and built a cult audience. It’s a dark and moody show that’s packed with scores of twists and turns. It’s anchored by Katic’s stellar performance as Emily wrestles with her missing memories, how her family has changed, and seeking answers no matter what.
It’d be great for the show to get more eyes on it, but could it lead to a revival?
Why Absentia may not get a revival
Without giving away too many spoilers, the third season was clearly crafted to wrap up the show and did a good job with it. While the ending may have seemed open for a fourth season, it still solved many of the lingering plot threads, so viewers were left satisfied.
Given it’s been five years since the finale, picking back up appears unlikely. Katic has moved on to other projects, as have the crew and creators. Also, while the reviews of the show were decent, it wasn’t quite a series that won critics over.
Still, Netflix has a way of reviving interest in seemingly long-gone shows enough to spark renewal talk (as with Suits). Even if an Absentia revival doesn’t come, at least Netflix allows more viewers to check out a crime thriller that deserved a lot more attention when it aired.
Absentia arrives on Netflix on Friday, Nov. 14.
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