Amazon Prime Video's Utopia was... well it was rough. While it brought in some exceptional talent, including the likes of John Cusak, Jessica Rothe, Rainn Wilson, Sasha Lane and more, the series never managed to get past its yikes-worthy story. Sometimes being "timely" is the opposite of what viewers want out of a series, and that was most certainly the case with Utopia.
The cancellation comes after the first season of the series failed to generate nearly any buzz among fans. Critics checked out the series, of course, but it was met with an underwhelming 51% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
What to Watch's own Rosie Knight noted in her review:
No one could have known that there would be a global pandemic this year--though it does seem to this reviewer like the show may have done ADR work in post to play into the current crisis--but no matter how you cut it Utopia comes at a terrible time with a message that can only really be read one way: conspiracy theorists will save the world from shadowy scientists and their evil vaccines. Maybe there's a way this version of the show could have been subversive, necessary, and vital, but it ultimately refuses to commit to introspection or conversation around the tropes it plays with and dangerous suspicions it may inadvertently confirm.
That's after she was unable to endorse anything other than the second episode of the series and Sasha Lane's performance.
It was a rough one for Utopia, and no one wants to celebrate folks being out of work. With all the talent involved in the series, we have no doubt everyone will land on their feet.
