The Serpent Queen is hissstory

Bad news for fans of opulent historical dramas, but good news for headline writers with a taste for genuinely stupid puns: Starz has canceled The Serpent Queen after two seasons on the network. This is per Variety, reporting that the series, which starred Samantha Morton and Liv Hill as 16th century ruler Catherine de’ Medici, queen of France, has now had its plug pulled. (The series used a flashback structure in its first season to tell its story of political intrigue in the world of 1500s France, hence why Morton and Hill split the role.) Also starring Sennia Nanua and Emma McDonald (the latter of whom was recast in place of the former, as Catherine’s present-day confidante, in the show’s second season), the series aired what will now be its final episodes back in August.

Interestingly, this cancellation does not mark the end of the Serpent Queen extended universe: Starz is reportedly working with creator Justin Haythe and executive producer Erwin Stoff on a new spin-off series that will focus on Catherine’s contemporary, Queen Elizabeth I. No casting details for that series have been announced, but since Minnie Driver played the character in multiple episodes of The Serpent Queen‘s second season, we’d be surprised not to see her involved in the show in some capacity.

Given what would normally be seen as a vote of confidence like that, we’re a little surprised to see The Serpent Queen get the axe, honestly. The show got fairly strong reviews, largely on the strength of its performances—even if critics did issue a few eyerolls toward its tendency to “spice things up” by including modern music album drops and flashy fourth wall breaks.