Brooklyn’s very own heartfelt family drama, "The Village," wrapped its debut season May 21, leaving fans scrambling for news about its impending renewal.
NBC remained quiet about the fate of the series, before officially canceling it on May 30. NBC was not expected to make a decision during its other series renewals — like that of "This is Us" — but rather planned to wait until after the season finale aired, the network confirmed.
"The Village," which followed the intertwined stories of the residents of a Brooklyn apartment building, premiered in March in the 10 p.m. time slot, following network favorite, "This is Us." It shuffled time slots two more times during its 10-episode run, taking over the 9 p.m. hour before settling in at 8 p.m.
It premiered to 4.9 million viewers, according to ratings data, and averaged 4.1 million by May. For perspective, it averaged higher viewership numbers than some of the network’s already renewed series’ — like "Good Girls" and "Blindspot" — but didn’t reach the heights of "This is Us" (8.3 million) or "Manifest" (6.4 million). Though "The Village’s" ratings aren’t very high, its viewership has remained consistent.
The large cast, including Grace Van Dien (Katie), Michaela McManus (Sarah) and Warren Christie (Nick) did not comment on May 30 on social media about the series’ fate, though several participated in finale chats and thanked fans for a first season run.
Showrunner and creator Mike Daniels tweeted on May 21 a thank you to fans, calling "The Village" a "labor of love." In a since-deleted tweet, he thanked fans for watching "The Village," and later replaced the tweet clarifying, "Thank you for watching #TheVillage s1" (season 1). His message caused fans to speculate if a second season announcement was looming.
Without a second season, "The Village" leaves fans with several unanswered questions. It brought the tears — and the cliffhangers.
To wrap a season strung together by Katie’s pregnancy and the return of her father, wounded veteran Nick, Daniels welcomed a new resident to The Village and threatened the fates of others.
How many residents would The Village lose, or gain? The season left viewers with an uncertain look at who’s going to leave the Brooklyn life behind. Nick was considering the possibility of taking up work in South Carolina (after causing a riff between mom Sarah and daughter Katie). Though, the birth of his new grandchild would most likely change his course. If there had been a second season, Nick may have chosen to move back into The Village (after being asked to leave by Sarah) to be a part of his grandchild’s life in a way he wasn’t for his daughter, Katie.
But Nick isn’t the only resident in question.
Ava (Moran Atias) and her son were absent from the season’s final episode, after fleeing to Canada to escape deportation. NYPD officer Ben (Jerod Haynes), who also lives in The Village, was left to ponder if he should chase after his girlfriend — or his ex-wife, Dana (Deborah Ayorinde).
Near the end of the season, Katie was staying with her friend (or soon-to-be boyfriend) Liam (Ben Ahlers) after running away from home. After the birth of her first child, she’d most likely choose to move back home with her mother.
Three characters who had a rather romantic season 1 ending — Gabe, Enzo and Gwendolina — may have ended up becoming roomies in season 2. Enzo (Dominic Chianese) proposed to his girlfriend and spent much of season 1 living with his grandson, Gabe (Daren Kagasoff).
Will Patricia survive her surgery?
Patricia, who underwent a full hysterectomy in the finale, spent the season’s last three episodes preparing for the worst. We saw Patricia (Lorraine Toussaint) reconnect with her husband Ron (Frankie Faison) and his estranged son, which may have implied she won’t make it out of surgery. Several goodbyes — including an emotional one with Katie — had already been made.
How will a premature birth impact baby Cooper?
Katie gave birth early — possibly several weeks early — and it remained unclear how her "very tiny" baby would be impacted. Sarah told Katie her son, named Cooper, would have health complications.
How will Claire react to Katie’s decision?
Leading to the season finale, teen mom Katie seemed set on giving her child up for adoption. A few red flags, like trouble at home and a snag in the adoption papers, changed Katie’s mind. After seeing Cooper for the first time, she decided not to go through with the adoption, but hasn’t yet told Claire (Katrina Lenk). A second season would have had the freedom to explore not only Katie’s experience as a young mother, but the impact of losing another child could have on Claire.
Will these relationships fizzle?
Several romantic relationships in "The Village" were left open-ended: Will Liam and Katie get together? Will Sarah and Ethan date? Or, maybe it’s finally Nick and Sarah? Ben and Dana? Ben and Ava? And, we won’t forget about Gabe and Sofia.
