Update (November 26th): Netflix will no longer move forward with season 2 of Queen Sono.
Netflix renewed the African series for a sophomore run back in April. But at the end of November, the streaming service announced that it reversed its season 2 renewal decision and ultimately canceled the series after one season.
While Netflix didn’t offer an explanation for the show’s cancellation, a statement from series creator Kagiso Lediga implied that the streamer’s decision to pull the plug on the series was pandemic-related. “We wrote a beautiful story that spanned the continent but unfortunately could not be executed in these current trying times,” said Lediga.
Original Story (April 30th): Netflix’s first African original series is coming back for another season.
On Tuesday morning, the streaming service picked up the crime drama series Queen Sono for Season 2. Starring Quantico alum Pearl Thusi as the titular role, the first season of the Kagiso Lediga-created series premiered on Netflix on February 28th, and quickly gained fans inside and out of Africa.
QUEEN ??SONO ??IS ??COMING ??BACK ??FOR ??SEASON ??2. #QueenSono pic.twitter.com/QSHcqq6V3F
— NetflixSA (@NetflixSA) April 28, 2020
Naturally, the news of the renewal has made fans very happy, with many of them taking to Twitter to share how excited they are for the next season.
Halala ?? pic.twitter.com/yNUV9pCn5N
— Vuvu M (@mazana_vuyokazi) April 28, 2020
???????? pic.twitter.com/TgEA25DTvr
— Jas? (@Jmoniquexo_) April 28, 2020
This is just the kind of announcement I like to see from @netflix !!! pic.twitter.com/yPKwZNfGpC
— Margaret L (@llws88) April 28, 2020
With the show’s freshman run only having six episodes, fans have since been asking for a bigger episode count for Season 2.
More than 6 episodes please
— ❤️ (@ZiPearls) April 28, 2020
Great news …more than 6 episodes please at least 8-10 @PearlThusi
— Nelly Nzima (@nelzblue) April 28, 2020
Can we have more Episodes please ????
— Tattooed Mom ?? (@mologadi) April 28, 2020
And while fans love the first season, some of them would like the series to have smoother transitions between episodes, more thrilling action scenes, and more realistic narrative in its sophomore run.
I thought i was the only one, i had to rewatch episode 3 bfr i continued to 4… It needs attention to understand.. My opinion
— Enough? (@Zeeeeh7) April 28, 2020
Can we please get better action sequences and a more emotional villain
— Ziyaad Mohomed (@Ziyaggy) April 28, 2020
Tighter script
— Fareed (@Fareed_M) April 28, 2020
The show’s freshman run tells the story of a secret South African clandestine agent (Thusi) who tackles criminal operations while dealing with crises in her personal life. Season 2 will reportedly see Thusi’s character take a journey across Africa while seeking truth and vengeance.
“The first season of Queen Sono marked the beginning of our journey to introduce the world to exciting stories that are made in Africa,” said Dorothy Ghettuba, head of African originals at Netflix, in a statement. “It was an unprecedented representation of a strong female black lead in African television.”
Ghettuba added: “In the first season of Queen Sono, we saw grit and glamour, strength and vulnerability, as well as the past and the present, converge into a powerful narrative that explored the complexities and nuances of the African experience. Kagiso Lediga and production company Diprente Films delivered a compelling story that resonated with our viewers and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for Queen Sono in this coming season.”
Production on Season 2 is set to begin later this year.