Instinct canceled after 2 seasons

Sydney Bucksbaum

CBS felt the instinct to cancel Instinct after two seasons.

Creator Michael Rauch revealed the news that the procedural drama will not be returning for a third season in a series of tweets.

“I’m very sad to relay the news that @instinctcbs won’t be renewed for a 3rd season,” Rauch wrote. “We will double up this Sunday and our season/series finale will be Aug 25.”

The series creator then went on to thank the cast, crew, and “diehard fans for your love, loyalty & excellent taste (is it too soon to ask for a reboot?).”

Because only 11 episodes were filmed for season 2, Sunday will feature two new episodes and the final episode will air next Sunday, Aug. 25.

Instinct stars Alan Cumming as Dylan Reinhart, a former CIA operative who’s created a quieter life for himself as a professor and author of a best-selling book on abnormal behavior. When tenacious and resourceful NYPD detective Lizzie Needham (Bojana Novakovic) approaches him to help her solve a serial killer case, he gets lured back into the adrenaline filled world of law enforcement, and he and Lizzie realize that, together, they make the perfect team.

Star Novakovic took to Twitter to vent her frustrations over Instinct‘s cancelation. “This sucks balls,” she wrote.

Later that day, Cumming shared a post on Instagram to express his sadness over the cancelation and his gratitude for the show. “So the word is out. @instinctcbs will not be returning for a third season,” he wrote. “Almost exactly three years ago I was sent a galley copy of a book by @jamespattersonbooks and @howardroughan and then I met the show runner @mbr34 who was to adapt it for TV and I jumped in. And I’m still in, for two more episodes tomorrow and the last one ever next Sunday. And while I’m sorry I won’t be getting to play with @bojnovak and the rest of the amazing cast and crew again, I’m grateful for two seasons of fun and gore and feeling like a dandy thanks to @danlawsonstyle’s costumes, and selfies with corpses and vegan options at catering and Lala’s occasional guest appearances in the police station when she got bored in her basket beneath my desk.”

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So the word is out. @instinctcbs will not be returning for a third season. Almost exactly three years ago I was sent a galley copy of a book by @jamespattersonbooks and @howardroughan and then I met the show runner @mbr34 who was to adapt it for TV and I jumped in. And I’m still in, for two more episodes tomorrow and the last one ever next Sunday. And while I’m sorry I won’t be getting to play with @bojnovak and the rest of the amazing cast and crew again, I’m grateful for two seasons of fun and gore and feeling like a dandy thanks to @danlawsonstyle’s costumes, and selfies with corpses and vegan options at catering and Lala’s occasional guest appearances in the police station when she got bored in her basket beneath my desk. I’m also proud to have played the first ever leading character in a US network drama who is gay. Yes, really. Because of @instinctcbs millions of people will have seen a same sex marriage portrayed for the first time and I hope we changed and opened some minds in the process.

A post shared by Alan Cumming (@alancummingsnaps) on Aug 17, 2019 at 2:10pm PDT

Cumming also spoke to the show’s importance when it comes to LGBTQ representation. “I’m also proud to have played the first every leading character in a US network drama who is gay,” he concluded. “Yes, really. Because of @instinctcbs millions of people will have seen a same sex marriage portrayed for the first time and I hope we changed and opened some minds in the process.”

Instinct will begin airing its final three episodes on Sunday at 9 p.m. on CBS.

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