Remember the 2004 Nickelodeon animated series, "Winx Club?" No worries if you don't; the fantasy show revolves around a group of teenage girls known as the Winx, who can transform into fairies with various abilities. While this can sounds like a clichéd genre convention, The Winx Club is anything but, with its character-driven storytelling working hand-in-hand with its refreshing take on traditional gender roles. Every female character in The Winx Club is powerful, self-possessed, and far from the damsel-in-distress trope; together, they work to expose societal double standards and toxic masculinity. Even on the surface level, the magical universe of the Winx Club takes us on fun, unforgettable adventures that require battling elemental opponents as part of its complex magical system (evoking fun comparisons to Avatar the Last Airbender which premiered a year after this show).

Series creator Iginio Straffi had been interested in a live-action adaptation since 2011, which eventually led to Netflix's Destiny: The Winx Saga being produced by Rainbow, a studio co-owned by Straffi and Viacom. The live-action Winx Saga (which was show-runner by Brian Young) centers on Bloom (Abigail Cowen), a fiery fairy who is suddenly exposed to a fantasy realm after losing control of her abilities. After finding her way to Alfea Magic School, Bloom soon meets her crew of Winx, who band together to channel their elemental powers as a single force. While the Netflix show retains some of the lore from the original animated series, it also draws on much more modern and popular (read: backward) tropes — something that, unfortunately, prevents it from having the same honest charm as "Winx Club."

That being said, the first two seasons of Destiny: The Winx Saga have generated quite a bit of interest. Both seasons entered (and remained) in the top 10 of Netflix's daily streaming charts for at least two weeks after their premiere, with the platform ultimately claiming that season 1 garnered 57 million household views in its first 28 days of release. So why was Destiny: The Winx Saga canceled after its second season?

It's not too hard to pinpoint why "Fate" was abruptly canceled, especially considering the audience interest/viewing data provided by Netflix. While Season 1 enjoyed record-breaking success, interest in Season 2 has dropped significantly in comparison, though the metrics seem solid enough when judged on its own merits. As noted above, season 2 was one of Netflix's most streamed titles worldwide two weeks after its premiere, but only generated 161 million hours from worldwide users. This isn't bad by most standards, but one can only assume that Netflix didn't think these numbers were good enough.

We also have to acknowledge the disturbing trend of shows being canceled early in their run unfortunately it has become a Netflix staplewhich led to the cancellation of several promising series despite glowing reviews and sustained viewership metrics. Although "Fate" was far from a critical darling (see also: its not-so-great critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes), there should be a discussion about giving the shows a chance to really breathe and find their footing before axing them. Of course, not every series can be an artistic triumph or a commercial hit, and it doesn't need to be. But too many shows in the streaming era have been canceled before they even had a chance to blossom or evolve into something more interesting.

Anyway, back on topic: Destiny Season 2 focuses on the upheaval endured by Alfea and her studentsand ends with an epic battle and a ton of revelations about the Kingdom of Darkness. While not every loose end is tied up and the season ends on a cliffhanger, interested fans can continue to experience the story in graphic novel form. Indeed, Rainbow and Mad Crave Studios collaborated to publish a series of Destiny graphic novels in 2023, with the first entry, titled Dark Destiny, being published in 2024. it's best to watch the original animated series, which remains unparalleled in its exploration of power and sisterhood.