Netflix’s red pen was busy again this week. On July 2, the streamer confirmed that medical drama Pulse and Shondaland’s White-House whodunit The Residence will not return for second seasons, while Liz Feldman’s dark anthology No Good Deed has been placed on “indefinite pause.” The decisions arrive halfway through a year in which Netflix has already axed more than a dozen shows—including fan-favorites The Recruit and The Sandman—underscoring how unforgiving its renewal math has become.
Netflix Just Cut Pulse and The Residence—and Shelved No Good Deed. Here’s What Happened
Why the Scalpel Came Out for Pulse
Pulse debuted April 3 with a premise Netflix hoped would stand apart in an oversaturated medical-procedural field: darker ethical dilemmas and a splash of near-future tech. Critics weren’t impressed—its Rotten Tomatoes score stalled at 48 percent—and audience retention slid just as quickly.
Internal data shows the series lost roughly two-thirds of its viewers by week three, well below Netflix’s unspoken “50 percent season-completion” threshold. Once the steep drop crossed that line, a renewal was off the table, no matter how passionately the remaining audience tweeted.
A Lavish Set Couldn’t Save The Residence
Shonda Rhimes’ murder-mystery premiered March 20 and opened strong—at one point ranking No. 2 worldwide behind teen juggernaut Adolescence. But its lavish, photo-realistic White House set reportedly pushed per-episode costs north of $10 million.
When view-through fell to the mid-40-percent range after its splashy first weekend, the cost-per-finished-episode curve spiked beyond what Netflix’s finance team now tolerates for freshman shows. Even Shondaland’s brand power couldn’t outweigh that spreadsheet.
No Good Deed Gets a Time-Out, Not a Death Sentence—Yet
Released last December, No Good Deed peaked at No. 3 globally, then settled into the lower half of the Top 10 for a few weeks—a respectable run, but short of breakout status. Completion sat in the mid-50s, good enough to keep the lights on but not to green-light the more expensive second arc Feldman pitched. Netflix labeled the show “indefinite pause,” leaving the door cracked if the algorithm detects a long-tail bump or if Feldman tweaks her budget.
In practice, only a massive post-cancellation surge (think Manifest) tends to reverse that verdict.
The Bigger Picture: Netflix’s 2025 Cancellation Math
So far in 2025, Netflix has culled at least 16 originals, from sci-fi epic The Recruit (canceled in March) to Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman (ending after its upcoming second season). Two forces drive the bloodletting:
- Completion-rate obsession. Netflix now weighs the percentage of viewers who finish a season more heavily than raw hours watched. Anything under ~50 percent usually heads to the guillotine.
- Cost per finished hour. High-budget series must maintain exceptional retention to justify their price tags. If they slide into “average” engagement territory, finance wins the argument to cut.
Executives point to an increasingly ruthless market: subscriber growth has plateaued in North America, licensing fees for blockbuster films are climbing, and rivals like Disney+ and Max are trimming their own lineups. To fund tent-poles such as The Witcher: Blood Origin’s successor and the live-action My Hero Academia, Netflix is willing to sacrifice mid-tier performers.
What’s Next for Viewers
While fans mourn Pulse and The Residence, July still brings plenty of fresh content: the long-awaited Umbrella Academy finale, action thriller Oni Blade, and a Benicio del Toro-led miniseries Midnight City. But the lesson is clear—watch early, watch all the way through, and hope enough fellow subscribers do the same. Otherwise, your new favorite show might not survive to see a second season.
You On Netflix Concludes
Netflix’s psychological thriller You has officially concluded with Season 5, which premiered on April 24, 2025. Over five gripping seasons, the show has chronicled the twisted journey of Joe Goldberg—played masterfully by Penn Badgley—from bookstore clerk to suburban husband to international fugitive and, finally, New York power player. The show’s third season, set in the fictional suburb of Madre Linda, marked a crucial turning point for Joe and his wife, Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), setting in motion the final chapters of the saga.
Season 3 remains a fan-favorite for many viewers thanks to its darkly comedic take on suburban life, parental stress, and marital dysfunction—all laced with the show’s signature obsession-fueled violence. It introduced new characters, new locations, and new temptations for Joe as he attempted, and failed, to live a “normal” life.
Key Takeaways from Season 3
- Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti star as Joe and Love, navigating a deadly marriage and suburban parenthood.
- New cast members include Shalita Grant, Travis Van Winkle, Tati Gabrielle, and Dylan Arnold.
- The setting shifts to Madre Linda, a seemingly perfect California suburb hiding dangerous secrets.
The Cast of Season 3
Season 3 set the stage for the show’s final chapters, featuring a mix of returning characters and fresh faces that would impact the storyline for seasons to come.
Returning Stars
Penn Badgley continues his nuanced portrayal of Joe Goldberg, a character as compelling as he is horrifying. Victoria Pedretti delivers a chilling and vulnerable performance as Love Quinn, Joe’s equally unstable partner.
Saffron Burrows reprises her role as Dottie Quinn, Love’s mother, whose erratic behavior and alcoholism bring even more instability into Joe and Love’s household.
New Characters
Shalita Grant plays Sherry Conrad, a lifestyle influencer who presents as confident but hides deep insecurities. Travis Van Winkle stars as Cary, her alpha-male husband. Their dynamic with Joe and Love becomes central to some of the season’s most twisted moments.
Tati Gabrielle enters the series as Marienne Bellamy, a librarian and recovering addict who becomes Joe’s newest fixation. Dylan Arnold portrays Theo Engler, a young college student entangled in Love’s personal life.
Michaela McManus appears as Natalie Engler, the neighbor teased at the end of Season 2. Her storyline kicks off the chain of events that unravel throughout Season 3. Scott Speedman joins as her husband Matthew, a reclusive tech CEO whose obsession with surveillance echoes Joe’s own habits.
Themes and Tension
Season 3 explores the idea of “domestic bliss” through a sinister lens. Joe and Love attempt to settle down with their newborn son, but their psychopathic tendencies quickly disrupt any sense of normalcy. The community of Madre Linda—obsessed with appearances, wellness, and social status—serves as a mirror to Joe and Love’s façade of family life.
Marienne becomes a pivotal figure, representing a different kind of obsession for Joe—one that seems rooted in idealism rather than lust. Meanwhile, Love’s growing dissatisfaction and infidelity escalate the couple’s descent into chaos.
The explosive finale of Season 3 leaves Joe presumed dead and starting over in Europe—setting the stage for the final two seasons that would bring his story full circle in New York.
How Season 3 Influenced the Series’ Endgame
By Season 5, released in 2025, Joe has returned to New York under a new identity and with increased wealth and influence. But the seeds of his final unraveling were planted in Season 3. The events in Madre Linda forced him to confront the futility of starting over, exposing the rot beneath his carefully curated image. Love’s death, his abandonment of his son, and his spiral into deeper moral decay all began here.
Season 3 was also the first time Joe faced a partner as dangerous as himself. Love’s willingness to kill for their family and her unpredictability added new layers to the series. It wasn’t just about obsession anymore—it was about control, legacy, and survival.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is *You* still going?
No. *You* concluded with Season 5 on April 24, 2025. This final season brought closure to Joe Goldberg’s story with a return to New York, new enemies, and a reflection on everything he’s done.
Who dies in Season 3?
Season 3 features several major deaths, most notably Natalie Engler and, in the finale, Love Quinn. Joe fakes his own death and abandons their child to escape his past.
Do I need to watch Season 3 before Season 5?
Absolutely. Season 3 lays the groundwork for everything that happens in the final two seasons. It marks the end of Joe’s suburban experiment and the beginning of his transformation into a more calculated, dangerous version of himself.
Where does Season 3 rank among fans?
Season 3 is often ranked as one of the most memorable seasons of *You* thanks to its high body count, satirical take on suburban perfection, and the gripping chemistry between Joe and Love. Many fans view it as a tonal shift that made the later seasons possible.
