Do We Get Another Trip To Abuddin?

Last year, everyone was surprised when FX renewed Tyrant for a second season considering how it struggled in the ratings its first year. But, it came back, and it's wrapping up its second season on September 1. So, can the show make lightning strike twice? Will FX bring back Tyrant for Season 3, or is this the end of the saga of Abuddin? Update: FX announced, in a press release, that Tyrant is renewed for Season 3 on Oct. 8. Update 2: In another press release, FX announced that Tyrant Season 3 will premiere on July 6.

It's hard to tell, and FX hasn't made an official announcement either way. But, sadly, the show didn't grow its audience in the second season. In fact, the number slipped. According to TV By the Numbers, the first season averaged 1.55 million viewers per episode, and the number notched down in Season 2 to 1.17 million viewers. Not only that, but the show has an inconsistent viewership; the ratings bounce up and down week-to-week, which makes it look like there isn't a dedicated audience.

This, plus FX's silence, suggests that Tyrant will be on its way out. But, if you're an optimistic fan, there are reasons to be hopeful. If you're willing to cross your fingers and ignore the bad signs, here are some happy thoughts to keep you from totally losing faith in the show's renewal.

Who Cares About Ratings Anymore?

It seems like, every day, you hear news about some new show getting renewed despite low ratings. If you're looking for reasons to hold out hope, just look at AMC, which renewed shows like Turn: Washington's Spies despite its numbers. It happens more and more now that the TV audience is more segmented — networks aren't always looking for mega-blockbuster ratings with every series (though I'm sure they'd find it lovely). At least we hope they're not, right?

FX Has Kept Shows That Have Done Worse

AMC isn't the only one to renew low-rated series. FX has The Americans and Archer, which both have fewer viewers than Tyrant. According to TV Series Finale, The Americans only had 1.08 million viewers, and Archer didn't even make it to a million viewers with .98. If FX brought those shows back, it could bring back Tyrant, too.

People DVR It

At least, they did in the beginning. Another reason why ratings might not be so relevant is that more and more shows are saved up and binge-watched later on when viewers have time to catch up. (USA network president Chris McCumber says counting on people to catch on and catch up later is one of the reasons for the success of Mr. Robot ). According to Deadline, the Season 2 premiere of Tyrant had the "the highest Live+ Same Day to Live+3 lift of any FX original season premiere in total viewers and adults 18-49." The article states that the premiere aired opposite an NBA final, but people made sure they went back and caught up with it afterward.

Critics Don't Hate It

When a show has wishy-washy ratings like Tyrant does, a consensus of vocal, pop-culture-savvy voices can make or break a series. It would certainly be better if it had a fanbase and critics hailing it as the secret best show on TV (a la The Americans), but maybe the fact that no mob is saying Tyrant is terrible and should go away will be enough.

What Else Is FX Going To Run In The Summer?

It's not like FX has a deep bench of shows to trot out in the summertime. Shows like Fargo and The Americans are off, and there's a vacuum created by something like Justified which finished up this year. Plus, FXX siphoned off summer plug-ins like You're the Worst. The network might keep Tyrant around until it could build up a more reliable stable of shows. Or, hey, it could become the reliable show in the stable — but that's really wishful thinking. We'll just have to wait and see if Tyrant gets the good news soon.

Image: Kata Vermes/FX (3); Giphy