Netflix released the first season of this series, and the audience had a lot to say.
No, their feedback about the show wasn’t positive at all. On the contrary, Insatiable received a lot of flak from the viewers.
The backlash reached the extent that an online petition surfaced that had 230,000 signatures of people calling for the series to be canceled. According to them, “This series will cause eating disorders, and perpetuate the further objectification of women’s bodies.”
But despite the backlash, the makers revived the show for its second season. After its second innings, viewers are wondering if makers will cancel it or take the risky step of reviving the third season too!
Here is everything to know about Insatiable and whether it will be renewed for the next season or not.
What is the Plot of Insatiable?
Insatiable highlights the story of Patty Bladell, a teenager, who was regularly bullied at her school because of her heavy weight. Following a mishap, Patty decides to go on a liquid diet to transfer her body. She takes up this challenge for three months during her summer vacation and slims downs drastically. Now that she is slim, Patty resolves to exact vengeance on everyone who tormented her because of her fat body.
In the meantime, Bob Armstrong, a disgraced civil lawyer, and obsessive beauty pageant coach, spots Patty and transforms her into a beauty queen. The storyline follows many events that occur subsequently throughout the two seasons.
Who is Cast in Insatiable?
The star cast of Insatiable includes Debby Ryan as Patty, the protagonist. Besides her, you will see the following characters.
- Arden Myrin as Regina
- Dallas Roberts as Bob Armstrong Jr.
- Christopher Gorham as Bob Barnard
- Sarah Colonna as Angie
- Erinn Westbrook as Magnolia
- Kimmy Shields as Nonnie
- Michael Provost as Brick
- Irene Choi as Dixie
- Alyssa Milano as Coralee
The Actor and Director Backed the Plot of the Series
While the audience didn’t receive the show warmly, the actor and makers of Insatiable had a lot to say. According to Ryan:
“We knew this societal brokenness needed to be addressed, but we didn’t know how badly it needed to be addressed. I was like, I just want to be really clear that I have never seen rage and disordered eating and this want for justice that’s so misguided.”
She added,
“I think the message is you don’t have to polish things up all the time and look a certain way. We all have something that we want or try to be. As long as we are sincere and transparent, we can fuel our desires to succeed and lead to redemption, and make things right no matter how we look. That’s one thing I took away. We are not in the business of fat-shaming. We are out to turn a sharp eye on broken harmful systems that equate thinness with worth.”
Her co-star, Alyssa Milano also had something to say.
“We are not shaming Patty. We are addressing the damage that occurs from fat shaming. I hope that clears it up.”
Justifying the series, the showrunner, Lauren Gussis, stated:
“Patty’s actually more miserable because now she doesn’t have any protection. She focused all her attention on what things would be like ‘if only’. Then she gets the ‘if only’, and it doesn’t fix her.”
Is Season 3 Coming Back?
The first season of Insatiable was released on Netflix in August 2018. Despite negative feedback from the audience and critics, the makers released its second season in October 2019.
It seems that the third season is next to getting canceled. It has been over two years since the second season’s release, and there are no updates on the subsequent seasons. The audience assumes that the makers have given up the idea of working on the third installment, for good.
Netflix Cancelled the Show
The assumptions about the cancellation of the third season weren’t made just for the sake of it. In February 2020, it was confirmed that Insatiable had been canceled by the streaming service after two seasons.
So, what was the reason for the show’s cancellation?
According to Netflix’s head of original content, Cindy Holland,
“It’s a combination of things. When we are investing, we decide how much to invest based on the audience that will show up. If the audience doesn’t show up, we think about the reason to continue to invest in something that doesn’t do as well as we had hoped. Obviously, critical acclaim is important too, but we are really about trying to stretch our investment dollars as far as we can and make good on our investors’ money – it’s theirs, not ours.”
Actress Alyssa Milano also confirmed the cancellation of the show on social media.
What Happened in the Finale of Season 2?
In the first season’s finale, Patty wakes up to find that she has been kidnapped by pageant judge Stella Rose and her daughter Roxy, who had been plotting to take down Bob. They plan to kill Patty and make it look like she committed suicide. However, she escapes registering for regionals. But we also see Patty killing Christian with a crowbar. She calls Bob to help her push Christian’s car into a lake and tells him she thinks she may have killed Stella Rose.
The second season begins with showing Stella Rose alive. But not everything goes well. Patty does kill her in the finale of the season. Not only this. Patty, now the bad guy, keeps Stella Rose’s body in her room for many days.
Patty is seen committing other murders throughout the season. For instance, she pushes Gordy off a cliff and takes three drug dealers she thought would be her mother. In short, the protagonist herself has become a murderer.
Insatiable is a Problematic Show
Throughout the series, many events highlight the troublesome plot and display of characters on the show. Here is why canceling Insatiable by the audience was the right move.
There are Instances of Sexual Assault
Insatiable has a running gag about sexual assault and molestation. In one of the scenes in the opening episode, Bob is falsely accused of sexual assault by Regina Sinclair because her child fails to win a competition. In another episode, he tries to justify by saying he was a champion of young women and wanted to touch as many of them as he possibly could.
The scene itself is problematic, especially for young viewers.
Full of Fat Shaming
Although the makers and actors have tried to justify the plot, nothing can save this show from highlighting the fact that it is full of fat shaming. Among its meaningful talk about body positivity, you will find the characters joking about fat people.
The Comparison of Two Entirely Different Problems and How Wrong it is
In one of the scenes, a transgender girl makes a point about feeling uncomfortable in her own skin, and the makers compare it to Patty feeling uncomfortable after gaining some weight. After giving each other a pep talk, both show off their bodies in public. Unfortunately, the comparison itself is insulting.
There is a Child Molestation Joke
What could be worse than joking about child molestation? Well, Insatiable has its fair share of outrageous content. Not only did the show fat-shamed the characters, but it went up to cracking a joke about child molestation.
Within a few minutes of the episode, Bob was kicked out of the pageant circuit because he was accused of inappropriately touching an underage contestant. The entire scene was played for drama and laughs.
The Show Makes Light of #MeToo
A serious movement such as #MeToo has been made to light by the showrunners. Bob was falsely accused, which is terrible. However, given the decades of toxic rhetoric discrediting victims of sexual assault when they come forward, which doesn’t look good.
The Use of Fat Suit Didn’t Go Well with the Viewers
Last but not least, the use of a fat suit in the show brings along with it all the cultural baggage. Insatiable also combines the costume with scenes of Patty binge eating, and the voiceover states, “While my classmates were out losing their virginity, I was at home stuffing another hole.”
The show is problematic for all right reasons.