Why Hasn't FX Renewed 'The Bridge' Yet?

FX has maybe the best batting average of any network right now, and almost everything they put on this summer was fantastic. And while You're the Worst got a good deal of surprised fans, The Strain was a trashy, gross out guilty pleasure, and even the dicey Tyrant managed to improve enough to get 12 more episodes, The Bridge still hasn't been renewed for Season 3! And it's a shame, because Season 2 was a significant improvement over the first. The writing got tighter, the ensemble was given more to do, and the show moved away from the serial killer conceit, which often felt like a handicap that was forcing it to glorify the torture and murder of innocent women, and instead dove headfirst into the messy, dark underside of Ciudad Juarez.

FX renewed The Bridge for a Season 2 in late September 2013, but so far, they haven't made any comments about Season 3 and it's October. It's not a great sign, as they did find time to renew both Married and You're the Worst this week just after their finales aired, and renewed freshman drama Tyrant a few weeks ago. You're the Worst will be moving to FXX, which just got a huge boost from the "Every. Simpsons. Ever" marathon, while Married will remain on FX, which is hanging on to more and more comedies even after FXX was created.

FX/FXX might be losing interest in straightforward dramas in general. While Sons of Anarchy has big ratings, it's in its final season, and Justified is getting close to the end of its life as well. American Horror Story and Fargo are technically considered miniseries for awards reasons — and both shows have darkly comic elements. Really only The Americans comes close to what The Bridge is doing: smart, mature shows that may be about detective work or espionage, but is primarily dramatized relationships. Both shows are basically ignored by awards but beloved by critics. The Americans has enough buzz to keep it alive, and hopefully is enough to encourage FX to do the same for The Bridge. They've also kept on Tyrant, which isn't as good as either The Bridge or The Americans yet, but does have potential.

Hopefully the announcement makes Season 3 official soon. Seasons 1 and 2 aired at nearly identical times (seriously, just a single day separates each episode's airdates). Both premiered right after July 4, and ran for 12 episodes until the very beginning of October. If FX is just waiting on the announcement, then next season should be back in the summer, where it's comfortably one of the only challenging, serious dramas to be found.

Images: Byron Cohen/FX Networks (2)