The Wheel of Time showrunner reacts to "devastating" cancellation: "These fans deserve to see the story finished"

The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins says he's "devastated" not to be able to finish the fantasy show's story following its shock cancellation by Amazon.

In a heartfelt post on Instagram, Judkins admitted that he doesn't really know why the streamer pulled the plug on the acclaimed series, which is based on Robert Jordan's book saga of the same name – and that he wishes he "could say something clear and tidy that explains to all those who love it why it's coming to an end."

After celebrating the "talented and wonderful" cast and crew, he went on to point out that The Wheel of Time season 3 spent nearly 20 weeks in the Nielsen Top 10 streaming chart, "a feat few shows have been able to match in the last decade."

Elsewhere, Judkins hit out at the "larger trend in TV toward fewer seasons with less episodes" nowadays, as the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and other platforms put emphasis on acquiring additional subscribers quickly. "I genuinely believe that this goes against the fundamental strength of television – long-form storytelling. It is an art form, much like epic fantasy, which at its very best, gives people a place to go and spend time with the characters that they love year after year after year." 

Judkins concluded by sharing his hope that The Wheel of Time would find another home elsewhere, noting that one of the reasons he chose Amazon in the first place was that it had recently picked up The Expanse after SYFY axed it. "Who knows, perhaps the Wheel of Time show will do what the books have always managed to do since day one – defy the traditional definitions of 'beginnings' and 'ends'," he wrote. "I certainly hope it does – because this book series and these fans deserve to see the story finished."

Playing fast and loose with the focus and structure of its source material, The Wheel of Time centers on Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a shrewd magic wielder, who sets out on a dangerous quest to identify the prophesized savior of the world, the Dragon Reborn. While season 1 saw her round up a group of young potentials, season 2 saw the group take on dark forces and ultimately discover that Rand (Josha Stradowski) was the one Moiraine has been searching for. Season 3, which only aired its finale on April 17, explored Rand's inner conflict and the corrupting nature of the One Power.

Since Amazon confirmed it would not be renewing the show for a fourth season, almost 130,000 fans have signed a petition campaigning for it to be saved. According to TVLine, though, there are currently no plans for it to be shopped around elsewhere.

The Wheel of Time is streaming now. For more, check out our picks of the best shows on Amazon Prime Video.