When you can marathon a new show in one weekend, it doesn't take long for the conversation to turn from dissecting the latest season to counting down the days until its return. Such is the case with Netflix's Travelers, which only rolled out its second season Dec. 26. But will Travelers return for Season 3?
So far, Netflix hasn't made an official call as to whether or not the series will be renewed. However, the first season debuted around the same time last year, and it had been greenlit for Season 2 by early February, so a potential Season 3 announcement shouldn't be much longer of a wait. Also based on that timeline, if Travelers does receive a third go-round, it will likely once again arrive in late December.
That's ideal for the sleeper sci-fi series, which was just recently named among Netflix's top 10 most marathoned shows. People often have time off between the TV-light stretch from Christmas to New Years, which makes for optimum back-to-back viewing. And Travelers' high-intensity, futuristic plot is a fun way to cozy up on the couch, hide out from the winter cold, and take a short break from reality before diving back into the responsibilities of work or school.
For now, there's no guarantee that fans will have more Travelers to zone out with next year, but there are plenty of reasons to bring it back for Season 3. So, Netflix, take heed.
1. Fans Are Already Eager For More
Because Travelers is co-produced by the Canadian network Showcase, it airs on the channel several weeks before it hits Netflix. That means some viewers have already had a chance to get through all 12 episodes of Season 2 (as well as a few really eager international watchers). If their Twitter reactions are any indication, the demand for Season 3 is high.
2. There's More Story To Tell
No spoilers here, but from the sounds of it, Travelers Season 2 ends with an explosive finale that leaves the door wide open for more story. And luckily, showrunner Brad Wright already has several ideas in mind about where things will pick up. As he told Televixen:
I think Season 2 is a really good season and surpasses Season 1 and I want to keep that momentum. The theme of Season 3 is AI. There’s a lot of discussion of free will and AI and all of those things that we teed up in Season 2. We have an arc that introduces a new character, a woman, who is going to be a challenge to [Travelers team leader Grant] MacLaren. I want to give him a foil. We’re going to dial up the temperature a little more.
3. It's Good For Growth
As noted by Forbes' contributor Merrill Barr, shows like Travelers are critical to the company's growth because they allow international creators to share their stories on a global scale, in turn driving subscribers in largely untapped territories. In other words, Barr writes, it "allows the company to say we don’t just make things we come up with. We also help the ones near you already doing it.'"
4. The Show Is Only Getting Bigger
While Season 1 wowed with its elaborate, time-hopping premise, Season 2 only takes things further. Hanh Nguyen writes in her Season 2 review for IndieWire that the Travelers are now faced with "newer, more complex emotions," while Barr raves for Forbes:
The relationships are getting deeper. The conspiracies are growing wider. The tiny team we started with is not so tiny anymore ... The show has truly come into its own and is only a few major plot turns away from going down as must-see genre TV. In fact, it’s not too far away from just being straight up must-see TV in general.
Travelers may not be the buzziest show on Netflix, but it's getting there, and it deserves to have the chance to explore its budding potential. Stay tuned for whether Netflix feels the same.
