Summary
The Wheel of Timeshowrunner Rafe Judkins has finally broken his silence on the sudden cancellation of the hit Prime Video series after its third season garnered universal acclaim from critics as well as audiences.
Season 3 of the aforementioned series premiered onPrime Videoin March 2025 and opened to glowing reviews. Critics hailed the series for its epic storytelling, good acting performances, and mesmerizing visuals. Meanwhile, audiences praised the series for how it connected with them on a more emotional level. Everyone believed that the series would undoubtedly be renewed for another season. However, things came crashing down when Amazon canceled the series after three seasons, breaking millions of hearts. Now, almost two weeks later, showrunner Judkins has opened up about the cancellation ofThe Wheel of Timeand thanked the fandom for all their support. But his comments on the show’s future seem to paint a very dark picture.
Judkins says he doesn’t have any “clear” answers to why The Wheel of Time got canceled
Taking it to Instagram, Judkins broke his silence on the sudden cancellation of the series and noted how devastating the news was for the cast and crew. In his post,the showrunner saidthat he has been asking himself why the show was cancelled and noted that he doesn’t have any easy answers for the fans and the queries they have. Moreover, he stated that he knows about the new trends emerging in the streaming world and how creators are told to work on fewer episodes and have quicker turnaround. However, he feels that this trend works against what makes television truly special: long-form storytelling. Judkins wrote,“I’ve asked the same question many times over the last week — why was the Wheel of Time cancelled? I wish I could say something clear and tidy that explains to all those who love it why it’s coming to an end, but sadly, I can’t. It is an art form, much like epic fantasy, which, at its very best, gives people a place to go and spend time with the characters that they love year after year.”
Additionally, in his post, he made it clear that things are not looking good forThe Wheel of Timebecause canceled shows getting picked by other streaming platforms is very “rare.” However, he hopes that the series breaks all the stereotypes and continues because the story deserves to be completed. Also, he shared that the series went on to spend nearly 20 weeks on the Nielsen Top 10 list, a feat that hasn’t been achieved by many shows in the past. The statement made by Judkins makes one thing clear: it will be hard for them to convince other streamers to acquire such a large and expensive series.
Can the fans save the series, or The Wheel of Time is done and dusted?
His comments come a few days afterThe Wheel of Timefans started a signature campaign to save the series and urged other streamers to pick it up for its expansive storytelling. As of the writing of this piece,more than 130,000 people have signed the petitionand are doing their best to make the series a relevant topic of discussion on social media. The cancellation came as a shock to many because shows getting canceled after achieving their best ratings is very bizarre. Season 3 currently holds a critical rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the highest among all the editions. Meanwhile, it has an audience rating of 83%, which means the show has been widely successful, and fans were getting more and more into it. CancelingThe Wheel of Timeafter just three seasons is disappointing for fans because it cuts short a story that was meant to unfold over many years.
By ending the show early, viewers lose the chance to see beloved characters grow, face challenges, and reach their full potential. Fans who invested emotionally in the story and characters are left without closure. It also sends a message that even popular or ambitious shows aren’t safe if they don’t bring quick returns, which discourages long-form storytelling. Let’s see ifThe Wheel of Timewill haveits time again or not.
All three seasons ofThe Wheel of Timeare premiering exclusively on Prime Video.
