When the second season of "Joe Pickett" premiered on Paramount+, fans were abruptly confused to see the tenth episode (which premiered on July 30, 2023) listed as the "series finale." With no renewal date secured and no word from execs on the show's future, speculation swirled about whether the Wyoming game warden was already riding off into the fictional sunset.
Everyone breathed a big sigh of relief when TVLine confirmed that the wording on the episode's description was, in fact, an error. It was quickly corrected to read "season finale," implying that there may be still more to come. But on Oct. 31, 2023, Paramount+ confirmed that "Joe Pickett" had been canceled after two seasons. The Season 2 finale, which series stars Michael Dorman and Julianna Guill told Wide Open Country they were "shocked and elated" by, will indeed mark the end of the little Western crime series that could... for now.
There is precedent for canceled shows getting a new home on rival streaming services. In fact, in Oct. 2023, Netflix picked up another Paramount+ series that was canceled in June 2023. What's more, "Joe Pickett" began as a Spectrum Original before being revived by Paramount+. What are the odds "Joe Pickett" gets a third life elsewhere? Let's dig in.
What Is "Joe Pickett" About?
"Joe Pickett" is a Western crime drama based on novelist C.J. Box's characters from his popular 24-book series that starts with "Open Season." It follows game warden Joe Pickett (Dorman), who moves his family to a small Wyoming town called Saddlestring that sits alongside Yellowstone National Park. While the area may seem idyllic and quaint on the outside, Joe and his wife, Marybeth (Guill), quickly discover that their new neighbors are hiding decades of secrets behind their welcoming smiles.
Box serves as an executive producer on the series and told Spectrum News in 2021 that he was hopeful about the network capturing the essence of his unlikely hero.
"I could tell from the very beginning that their philosophy wasn't to get the books and then just transform them into their own thoughts and motivations but to adhere pretty closely to the storylines and the family," he said.
Among the whole murder and mayhem bit that positions Joe as the reluctant detective of this Western saga, family is the central theme of the show.
"Navigating the personalities within your own household and within the small town that you live in," Dorman also told Spectrum News. "How do you find your place in the tapestry of that town?"
"Joe Pickett" began as a Spectrum Original, and its debut season in 2021 was the platform's most-watched show. When Spectrum shut down its Originals division, "Joe Pickett" moved to its streaming home, Paramount+. The second season premiered exclusively on Paramount+.
What Happened In "Joe Pickett" Season 2?
Season 2 of "Joe Pickett" is based on Box's book "Blood Trail." The 10-episode installment sees Joe investigate a string of mysterious deaths in the mountains. When they learn that the murdered hunters weren't as innocent as they seemed, Joe and Marybeth find themselves in a race against evil.
All episodes of "Joe Pickett" Season 2 are currently streaming on Paramount+.
Could Another Streamer Pick Up "Joe Pickett" For Season 3?
The Season 2 finale of "Joe Pickett" ended on a major cliffhanger. What's more, the majority of Box's books have not yet been adapted. Screenrant offered up "Savage Run" as a potential novel to build off of for a third season. In that book, Joe investigates an explosion that kills an environmentalist.
There's so much left to mine in the Pickett universe. While Paramount+ has canceled the series, there may be hope that the show finds a streaming home elsewhere. Granted, it's more common for streamers to revive network shows that were canceled, not fellow streaming originals (for instance, when Netflix revived Fox's "Arrested Development" in 2013 and 2019). But it's not unheard-of for one streaming service to grab another service's series. Most recently, the animated kids series "Star Trek: Prodigy" moved to Netflix for its in-development second season after being axed at Paramount+.
Who's to say whether Paramount+ is shopping "Joe Pickett." In the streaming era, anything can happen. For now, "Joe Pickett" Seasons 1-2 are streaming on Paramount+. Check back here for any updates on the underrated Western series.
