Sex/Life is canceled after star Sarah Shahi called out Netflix for ‘gimmicks’

Netflix has given the ax to its original drama series Sex/Life, deadline reported Friday.

The series debuted just five weeks earlier with its second season on the streaming service.

A spokesperson for the streamer told the publication that the second season, which contained six episodes compared to the first season’s eight episodes, had brought the show to a natural conclusion.

They added that the streamer was “proud” of the show and every word the cast and crew put into it.

The cancellation was oddly timed, as Sex/Life head Sarah Shahi recently criticized Netflix and the series for what she saw as a “gimmicky” approach to the second season.

Strange timing: The cancellation news comes just days after series lead Sarah Shahi lamented the second season’s “gimmicky” approach; seen in October 2022

The show, which is inspired by BB Easton’s novel 44 Chapters About 4 Men, has been going haywire for a while, according to the publication.

Last month it was announced that she would star in a pilot for the potential ABC series Judgment [sic]which raised questions about how she would juggle both shows if the new one got a series order.

According to deadlineJudgment was able to secure a primary position for Shahi, meaning Sex/Life would have to negotiate a schedule for her to film a third season if it did.

She starred as a married woman who was suitably happy with her partner, until an old affair re-entered her life and ignited her passion.

The actress – who spoke in February about falling in love with costar and boyfriend Adam Demos – opened up about the season in an episode of Amanda Hirsch’s Not skinny Not fat podcast on tuesday.

While Shahi seemed pretty happy with the show’s first season, she clearly wasn’t happy with the direction it took in Season 2.

“I’m not going to put it down, but I certainly didn’t have the support I got the first season from the people involved with the show. It became something completely different for me, and I’m not afraid to say that,” admitted Shahi.

It’s unclear if she knew that season was going to be canceled when she voiced her criticism.

Love: The 43-year-old actress – who spoke in February about falling in love with co-star and boyfriend Adam Demos – opened up about the season on Tuesday in an episode of Amanda Hirsch’s podcast Not Skinny Not Fat

Struggling: ‘I struggled with the material. I just felt what it had the first season – I mean I’m never going to work for Netflix now after saying all this, but I can’t lie. And it was definitely challenging,” she added

Not renewed: Sex/Life debuted March 2 with its six-episode second season

She also added that Demos, who she started dating in 2020 after meeting on the set of Sex/Life, isn’t involved much with the show this season.

“I struggled with the material. I just felt what it had the first season – I mean I’m never going to work for Netflix now after saying all this, but I can’t lie. And it was definitely challenging,” she added.

Sex/Life debuted its six-episode second season on March 2, though the streaming service has not announced a renewal or cancellation at this time.

But even if the show is picked up for a third season, Shahi would be interested in returning.

“They always say it’s about the viewers. If it’s performing astronomically and is hugely successful, then it’s in their interest to bring it back. If not, it’s not in their best interest to take it,” she said.

The series debuted at #2 on Netflix’s Top 10 charts for the first week the second season was available, with 43.9 million hours watched.

“In Season 2, I felt like there were more moments that felt very gimmicky. Things like that are always very hard for me to read… But I didn’t have to do them. The boys do,” Shahi added.

“There were other things I just couldn’t figure out, and it was just a challenge,” she admitted.

‘But that’s part of what I do! I don’t always get along or agree with a filmmaker. I will not always like what to do or say. But that’s my job, to make it believable,’ Shahi continued.

The actress added that “things just felt very different” both on set and in terms of the scripts, adding that she barely worked with her boyfriend Demos.

“I was bummed that I couldn’t work with him as much because I really liked our stories and I enjoy working with him. He was a brilliant scene partner,” she said.

“And what ended up happening was that I worked so much and he worked so little. He’s like, in 60 seconds of the whole thing. I never saw him,” she added.

However, in late February while promoting the second season, Shahi said that they had even more sex scenes this season.

Gimmicky: “In Season 2, I felt like there were more moments that felt very gimmicky. Things like that are always very hard for me to read… But I didn’t have to do them. The boys do,” Shahi added

Believable: ‘But that’s part of what I do! I don’t always get along or agree with a filmmaker. I will not always like what to do or say. But that’s my job, to make it believable,’ Shahi continued

Barely: The actress added that “things just felt very different” both on set and in terms of the scripts, adding that she barely worked with her boyfriend Demos

Barely: “And what ended up happening was that I worked so much and he worked so little. He’s like, in 60 seconds of the whole thing. I never saw him,” she added

“It’s a lot and I feel like we might have even more sex scenes in the second season,” Shahi said in an interview with The Times.

“It’s scary, you’re vulnerable. I just prayed a lot and asked for very nice lighting,” she added.

She also opened up about falling for Demos, saying, “I think it was February and I was wearing an old, raggedy Christmas sweater. I was like, oh, this is the person I’ve been looking for all my life.”

Shahi shares three children William Wolf, 13, and twins Violet Moon and Knox Blue, 7, with her ex Steve Howey.