Spinning Out premiered on Netflix in January of 2020, and at first glance, it appeared the series might be the next big teen drama to be released on the platform. The show gained a decent following with ten episodes in its first season, however, the success was not enough to convince Netflix that they had their next hit on their hands, and Spinning Out was cancelled less than a month after it first aired.
It's debatable whether a harmless, campy, teen drama really deserved such a harsh end after barely being given a chance to gain a following. Spinning Out certainly had its issues in the continuity and consistency departments, but on the other hand, shows like Riverdale, Thirteen Reasons Why, and Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina all have very similar issues but continue to thrive. Let's explore some reasons why Spinning Out deserved its cancellation, and some reasons why it should have been given a better chance.
10 Nonsensical Storylines - Deserved
Spinning Out focused heavily on its campy teen drama aspect, probably more so than anything else. This lead to the series having some storylines that just didn't make any sense. Another aspect that fed into these storylines being hard to understand, is the fact that there were so many of them. Though the show didn't have a huge cast, nearly every character got their own storyline.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but the focus on some more minor characters, often took away from the main character's arcs, leaving things all over the place.
9 The Intriguing Factor - Undeserved
As messy as Spinning Out could sometimes be, there's no denying that the show had enough going for it that it managed to garner a fanbase in its ten-episode-long run. The drama elements made viewers want to binge-watch the series, which is saying a lot in the modern world of short attention spans and constant distractions.
Storylines like Kat's struggle with her career and personal relationships, Carol's battle with her mental health, and Jenn's fight to claim a first-place medal, were interesting enough to keep fans coming back for more.
8 Misrepresentation - Deserved
The cast of Spinning Out was somewhat diverse, but it didn't do anything special or groundbreaking by any means. With the world of TV becoming more progressive and "woke" every day, characters should be diverse and bring representation to underrepresented minorities.
Spinning Out included two people of colour in its main cast and one character on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Subsequently, the portrayal of these characters came across as rather unskilled. Two main characters in the series were also mentally ill, and the manner in which Spinning Out handled that was widely disputed.
7 Realistic Portrayal Of The Figure Skating World - Undeserved
One thing Spinning Out definitely did right was its gritty, realistic portrayal of the world of competitive figure skating. While some elements could come across as inauthentic, the series definitely nails the drama that comes with pursuing a professional figure skating career. The sport is cutthroat and riddled with melodrama, so that aspect of the series is pretty accurate.
Spinning Out also gives a refreshingly realistic portrayal of smalltown, community skating arenas. It's not all glitz and glam on the road the Olympics, and it's nice that this series stayed true to that.
6 Inconsistent Characters - Deserved
The main cast of Spinning Out was rather large, which meant that keeping track of all the major characters and their arcs became somewhat difficult as the series progressed. This made the show seem messy, as characters appeared to be all over the map, all the time.
Kat's storyline is a shining example of this inconsistency. She struggles to open up to people, yet she was previously in a committed relationship with someone prior to her partnership with Justin. The show also flip-flops between Marcus and Justin frequently, in choosing which one would be a romantic interest for Kat.
5 Campy Drama - Undeserved
Spinning Out was criticized for its overdramatized aspects, but it remains true that the short-lived series always knew what it was. It didn't try to be something it wasn't; it was a campy figure skating drama that explored the overdramatized world of the competitive sport.
The series never shied away from going a little too overboard with the drama elements. Sure, it wandered into soap opera territory a few times, but what teen drama doesn't?
4 Melodrama - Deserved
Spinning Out is often referred to as a guilty pleasure series, and it seemed to own up to that, with nearly all of its storylines being riddled with angsty drama. That being said, there's always a limit on how much of this melodrama a viewer can take before it starts coming across as contrived and tedious.
Spinning Out crossed said line many times, and frequently, it seemed that the Netflix series took itself just a little too seriously. Even the most serious of shows on TV have to have a sense of humour, and Spinning Out was completely devoid of this.
3 Complex Relationships - Undeserved
Spinning Out was a very character-focused series. It shone the limelight on the characters' relationships with each other and provided unique and intriguing dynamics that interested fans. The relationships portrayed in this series were perhaps the most realistic aspect of it.
Kat had a complicated relationship with her mother, which led to a lot of angsty turmoil. Kat also had a very atypical relationship with her little sister; while she did bend over backwards to protect Serena at times, the two were at odds often, which is a refreshing portrayal of a sibling relationship on TV.
2 Problematic Relationships - Deserved
While Spinning Out definitely had its share of memorable, complex relationships that certainly pleased fans, the series was guilty of portraying several deeply problematic relationships as well. Characters abused each other left and right, and often, it was never resolved or even addressed.
Kat jerked Marcus around. Serena verbally abused Kat. Jenn and Kat verbally abused each other. And perhaps most infamously, the way Carol treated Serena was almost as problematic as the way she treated Kat, yet it was barely touched on.
1 Resolution - Undeserved
Because Spinning Out was abruptly cancelled by Netflix after airing its ten-episode first season, the series ended on several cliffhangers. Nearly every storyline it had built up was left unresolved. This shouldn't have happened, as most fledgling series that are uncertain of their fate, will use the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach on their storylines. Thus, tying up loose ends in favour of telling a satisfying story, even if they were to get cancelled after one season.
Spinning Out did not use this method, and therefore, fans will always have questions regarding where this series would have gone if it had been allowed to live out its full lifespan. Because of this, perhaps Netflix should have given Spinning Out a chance to tie up its several loose ends.
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