Netflix Is Streaming The Beloved Sci-Fi Series HBO Max Should Have Never Canceled

From the days of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" to "Bojack Horseman" and "Rick and Morty," adult animation in the U.S. has tended to lean more toward comedy, while occasionally mixing in sci-fi or action. That trend has improved in recent years, with shows that dare to tell a story within the genre space and treat it seriously, from "Arcane" to "Primal."

Then there's "Scavengers Reign," not only a monumental piece of animation, but also one of the best television shows in years.

Created by Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner, "Scavengers Reign" is a mind-melding, visually dazzling adult animated sci-fi show from 2023 based on the duo's 2016 short film "Scavengers." It follows the survivors of an interstellar cargo ship stranded on an alien planet filled with beautiful yet dangerous flora and fauna.

It's a beautiful, nuanced show that portrays a truly alien world full of dangerous wonders. In a way, it's similar to Alex Garland's strange and haunting masterpiece, "Annihilation." Like that movie, "Scavengers Reign" is also a cult favorite that didn't really make a splash when initially released but has since found an ardent fan base.

Now that the show is streaming on Netflix, let's look at how "Scavengers Reign" got treated horribly by HBO Max, and how Netflix almost saved the series after its cancellation. If you somehow still haven't seen this masterpiece of sci-fi animation, stop right now and go binge "Scavengers Reign."

There was a time when Netflix was celebrated for scooping up cult favorite TV shows and giving them the chance to find a new audience, occasionally reviving shows that were canceled before their time. From "Lucifer" and "Arrested Development" to "Cobra Kai" and "Manifest," Netflix was once viewed as a savior of canceled TV shows.

Though "Scavengers Reign" was acclaimed upon its release and was nominated for Emmy Awards, winning for its background designs, that wasn't enough for HBO Max. The streamer canceled the show after its first season finished airing in early 2024.

Netflix announced that it would be picking up the first season of "Scavengers Reign" that same year, with reports that they'd grant it an additional season. This was welcome news. Netflix, after all, helped usher in a new age of adult animation in the U.S. thanks to "Bojack Horseman," and its commitment to the animation medium has often resulted in stunning art, like "Arcane" and "Blue Eye Samurai."

Unfortunately, co-creator Joe Bennett announced on Instagram in November 2024 that Netflix had decided not to renew the show after all. That leaves "Scavengers Reign" as a single-season masterpiece, and a show that HBO Max should have never canceled in the first place.

The immediate appeal of "Scavengers Reign" is how truly alien its world feels. There are flying creatures that also function as gas masks, monkey-frogs with psychic powers, and lily-like flowers that bloom only out of the remains of death. Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner crafted a beautiful world full of wonder, where anything and everything wants to kill you (and can). Every scene, every new piece of scenery, makes you feel like you do not belong there. It's easy to imagine a dozen spin-offs set in this world, with untold unexplored places serving as the setting for new stories. The treacherous terrain makes the survival aspect of the narrative quite thrilling, with danger lurking in every corner and death waiting to take out the characters at any moment. 

"Scavengers Reign" also relies heavily on visuals; there are long stretches devoid of any dialogue. The survival aspect of the story and the themes of corporate apathy echo Ridley Scott's "Alien," (or more accurately, "Prometheus," which also became an unexpected hit on streaming more than a decade after its release), while the phantasmagorical and bizarre art direction seems indebted to French artist Mœbius's sci-fi and fantasy work. It's a show bursting with ideas about nature, life, change, and the horrifying results of expansionist impulses that often lead empires to collapse.

Though "Scavengers Reign" ends in a satisfying way, it's hard not to think of the wonders we might have been able to experience had it been allowed to explore more wild ideas in season 2.