Kaley Cuoco’s Canceled Crime Series Only Needed 1 More Season To Be Truly Great, And I’m Upset It Won’t Happen

I am upset that the Kaley Cuoco-led show Based on a True Story was canceled, as it only needed one more season to reach its full potential. Debuting in 2023, the Peacock show followed Ava Bartlett (Cuoco) and her husband, Nathan (Chris Messina), who discovered their plumber, Matt Pierce (Tom Bateman), was the serial killer known as the West Side Ripper. Ava and Nathan decided to create a true-crime podcast where they would interview Matt and keep his identity a secret.

In season 2, Based on a True Story‘s cast added Melissa Fumero as Drew and Sara Paxton as Paige. Both new characters factored into the story of a West Side Ripper copycat killer emerging, and this new threat had the potential to expose the secrets that Ava, Nathan, and Matt had tried to hide. Even though season 2 had a largely positive reception, Peacock canceled Based on a True Story, which prematurely ended the show just as it was beginning to hit its stride.

Based On A True Story Season 2’s Ending Set Up A Great Season 3

Multiple Game-Changing Twists Occurred

Based on a True Story‘s season 2’s ending featured several tantalizing cliffhangers that set up a compelling season 3. Matt was revealed to have taken steps throughout season 2 to frame Nathan as the West Side Ripper, and his efforts paid off with Nathan being arrested in the season 2 finale. Season 2 would have seen Nathan fighting to prove his innocence, which would have been made more challenging by all the ways that Nathan has helped the real West Side Ripper and prevented him from being turned over to the authorities.

Related

Based On A True Story Season 2 Review: Kaley Cuoco’s Dark Crime Comedy Nearly Suffers From A Sophomore Slump

Based on a True Story season 2 takes a moment to hit its stride, but once it does, the show continues to tell an original dark comedy story.

The other enticing cliffhanger was that Matt kidnapped the West Side Ripper copycat killer, Paige, but it was left unclear what he planned to do with her. Matt could have ended up simply killing her as punishment for her imitating him, but there was also a possibility of the two characters joining forces and becoming a formidable duo of serial killers. Between these two cliffhangers and seeing how Ava responded to them, season 3 had ample potential.

Based On A True Story Season 3 Would’ve Brought The Story To A Natural Ending

Ava & Nathan Would Have To Take A Stand

Based on a True Story season 3 would have been a natural ending, as Ava and Nathan would have had to decide once and for all what to do about Matt. They tried working with him on multiple occasions, but it never ended well, with Nathan’s arrest only being the latest consequence. Those consequences had extended to Ava and Nathan’s family, especially Ava’s sister, Tory Thompson (Liana Liberato), who became romantically involved with Matt, and made the mistake of letting herself believe that he had truly turned over a new leaf.

Season 2’s ending forced Ava, Nathan, and Tory to stop deluding themselves about Matt’s true nature and loyalties. Season 3 would have been a natural place to see them attempt to resolve the damage he had done to their lives, which would be all the more complicated now with Paige’s involvement. Ava and Nathan are not blameless, as their desires to reclaim agency in their lives led to them making self-destructive and dangerous decisions. Reconciling this difficult truth would also have been a natural way to wrap up the show in a third and final season.

Based On A True Story Finishing On Season 2 Is Pretty Frustrating

It Is Part Of A Larger Issue In The Entertainment Industry

When some shows are canceled, they are at least able to end at a point where most of the main storylines are resolved. That is not the case with Based on a True Story, which left a great deal unresolved since it was clearly setting up another season. The season 2 finale does not work as a series finale. Season 2 found a better balance between its dark comedy and mystery than season 1 did, and this improved balance likely would have carried over into the next season, and helped the show build to a proper conclusion.

It is also frustrating to see how shows are not given time to build an audience. Shows need time to build their stories and to find their audiences, with many hit series needing multiple seasons before becoming a hit. With only two seasons and a total of 16 episodes, Based on a True Story was not given that much of an opportunity to grow over time. Not every show needs to be a massive, record-breaking hit, and it is disappointing to see this unrealistic expectation end another promising story.

Based on a True Story

7/10

Release Date

2023 – 2024-00-00

Showrunner

Craig Rosenberg

Writers

Craig Rosenberg