The journey is over: Netflix sci-fi mystery series '1899' canceled after just one season

Though it didn't have quite the same high profile as the new season of Stranger Things or the premiere of Wednesday, 1899 still ranked late last year as one of the most-anticipated new genre projects on Netflix. The new supernatural mystery series from the creators of the international hit Dark had plenty of memorable imagery in its trailers, along with a sense of looming secrets waiting to be unearthed. Now, after just one season, the journey is over.

1899 creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese confirmed on Instagram Monday that Netflix has declined to renew the show, dropping the option to continue it for two more seasons as its creators envisioned. The news comes less than two months after 1899 premiered on the streamer. 

“With a heavy heart we have to tell you that 1899 will not be renewed," the creators wrote. "We would have loved to finish this incredible journey with a second and third season as we did with Dark. But sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned. That’s life. We know this will disappoint millions of fans out there. But we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you were a part of this wonderful adventure. We love you. Never forget.”

As of now, there is no indication that the series might be able to find another home to continue its story, but that certainly doesn't rule out a continuation at this early stage. For the moment, though, it's all about mourning the loss of the show among fans and even the show's cast. Shortly after the news broke, 1899 star Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen shared a photo from the day he met his co-stars on Twitter, and wrote:

"As a lot of you may already know… 1899 will not be renewed for a 2nd and 3rd season… We are all truly devastated by this fact. This photo was taken the first night I met these people. You can take away the show, but you can’t take away family. Thank you all for watching."

Set in the title year, the series followed a group of immigrants on a ship traveling from the United Kingdom to the United States, where the passengers all hoped to start a new life. Along the way, strange events started to point to supernatural happenings on board, leaving the passengers to get to the bottom of the mystery ... if they're not already in on it. The series was hailed as the international follow-up to Dark that fans had been waiting for, but apparently its viewer numbers over the last six weeks weren't enough to keep it afloat. Perhaps the show has a future elsewhere, but for now we have to say goodbye to a series we were only just beginning to know.

If you'll miss 1899, try out some other sci-fi mystery series like Warehouse 13 or Paranormal Witness, both now streaming on Peacock.