Dashing our collective dreams of also one day owning a cozy retirement abode that just happens to feature an extra-dimensional portal to a far-off world, Amazon announced this week that it was canceling its recent sci-fi drama night sky after a single season. ace deadline notesthe series starred JK Simmons and Sissy Spacek as an older couple whose lives become complicated, first by the aforementioned portal (which they find under their shed, as one does), and then by the mysterious young man who one day appears near it.
News of the cancellation will come as disappointing on a number of levels, most directly because, hey, you can’t have too many opportunities to see Simmons and Spacek play off of each other like this. But also: night sky is very much a puzzle box show that’s only had parts of its puzzle (very slowly) revealed, and now anyone who got invested in the story of the York family is just going to have to embrace that mystery
In addition to Spacek and Simmons, the series (created by Holden Miller and Daniel C. Connolly) co-starred Chai Hansen, Adam Bartley, Julietta Zylberberg, and more, all wrapped up in the conspiracy surrounding the York’s magical space hole. Here’s an excerpt from Lauren Chval’s review of the series for us from its debut back in May:
The good news: night sky is meticulously plotted, with each character and detail woven together intricately. Little things—a white lie, a forgotten business card—that seem inconsequential in the moment become hugely important episodes later. the show feels a bit like watching someone do a puzzle from the outside in; as one pressing question gets an answer, a new question pops up in its place.
The mediocre news: The mysteries at its center are what make night sky equally compelling and a bit annoying. We always want to know more, and tension is often exquisitely rendered, but sometimes information is withheld for what feels like no reason, and other plot points hinge almost laughably on coincidence. If this feels vague, know that the list of do-not-reveal spoilers for the review of this show is a mile long.
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