Four years after its cancelation, I’m still mad that Netflix didn’t continue The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Made by the Jim Henson Company, Age of Resistance was a prequel to Henson’s 1982 Dark Crystal film. Through stunning puppetry and visual effects, a star-studded voice cast, and an engrossing story filled with political machinations and fantasy world-building, Age of Resistance told a thrilling tale of how three Gelflings ignited a rebellion against their Skeksis overlords.

Age of Resistance was critically acclaimed and well-received following season 1’s release on Netflix in 2019, with an 89% critical score and 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes serving as a testament to the overwhelmingly positive response, along with winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program. Nevertheless, Netflix canceled Age of Resistance in 2020, likely due to the show’s high production costs and the challenges created at the time by the Covid-19 pandemic. While I can understand the business reasons behind Netflix’s decision, I can never forgive them for canceling one of their all-time best original series.

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The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Was Even Better Than The 1982 Movie

Age Of Resistance Is A Great Prequel And Standalone Story

The greatest strengths of the 1982 Dark Crystal movie were the puppetry, visual splendor, and imagination that brought the world of Thra to life. These strengths continued in Age of Resistance, but the prequel proved to be even better than the original film, partly because it had 10 episodes to explore and flesh out Thra with greater depth, and also because it featured a more compelling plot and characters. This enabled Age of Resistance to work well as a standalone series that served as a wonderful introduction to Thra while also providing greater context for its cinematic predecessor.

I prefer Deet, Brea, Rian, and most of the other Gelfling characters in Age of Resistance to the movie’s Jen and Kira. Age of Resistance‘s Gelflings were more nuanced, and their arcs felt just as vital to the story as the world of Thra itself, whereas Jen and Kira felt like they existed primarily so Thra could be explored. At a time when the Skeksis were still believed to be benevolent rulers, the prequel’s plot was also more intricate, as most Gelflings still believed the Skeksis had their best interests at heart, making it more difficult to fight back.

Age of Resistance‘s story about authority abusing its power and dividing the masses, who must see through the division and unite in rebellion, resonated with me in 2019 just as much as it still resonates in 2024. It’s a timeless story that worked well on its own, but that also added to The Dark Crystal movie, given what Age of Resistance revealed about the long history of Skeksis tyranny and the many sacrifices made to rebel against them. Jen and Kira’s ultimate triumph became even more meaningful because of what Deet, Brea, Rian, and their fellow rebels suffered and overcame.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’s Cancelation Left Too Many Storylines Unresolved

I Still Want To Know What Happened To Deet

Age of Resistance season 1’s finale was rewarding and exciting, but it left many questions unanswered, questions now left unresolved after Netflix’s decision to cancel the series. The biggest cliffhanger was what would happen to Deet, as the sweet, gentle, and courageous Gelfling absorbed the power of the Darkening within herself. I am still desperate to know what happened to Deet, as she was last seen isolating herself from Rian and her other friends because of the Darkening’s power.

In addition to my concern for Deet, I was also left concerned about all the Gelflings and the future of their rebellion, as by the time of the movie, they were unsuccessful in healing the Dark Crystal, and having the Skeksis and Mystics reunite as one. I hate the idea that all the Age of Resistance Gelflings I came to know and love had been killed by the time of the movie, and they had failed in their mission. Age of Resistance could’ve fully connected the dots between the two stories in future seasons, including what Deet saw in her visions of the future.

There were plenty of other questions for Age of Resistance to deal with as well, including how the Gelfling would counteract the new threat of the Skeksis’ Garthim and what they would do with the shard from the Dark Crystal hidden in the Dual Glaive. This was the same shard Jen and Kira eventually used to heal the Dark Crystal. In the movie, Mother Aughra still had the shard, raising questions about what happened to her and to the shard after it was discovered in Age of Resistance.

Will The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Ever Be Revived?

It Could Continue In A Different Format

At this point, it is highly unlikely that Netflix will ever revive Age of Resistance. While a revival probably won’t happen at Netflix, it could happen elsewhere. Many of the creative geniuses behind Age of Resistance have expressed a desire to continue the story, and the Jim Henson Company has since partnered with Shout! Studios in a worldwide distribution agreement with previous Henson classics, including The Dark Crystal movie.

Perhaps they can work with Shout! Studios to somehow revive the series. Another possibility could be to finish the series in the form of novels or comics, which would lose the puppetry and visual grandeur of the series, but at least it could tell the rest of the story, revealing what happened to Deet, Rian, Brea, and all the other characters. I have to accept that The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance probably won’t be revived, and if it does, it’ll be in a different format, but at least I can still re-watch the brilliance of season 1.