Amazon's “Rick and Morty Meets The Good Place” Series Is So Good, It’s Already Renewed For 3 More Seasons

While Prime Video’s blend of The Good Place and Rick and Morty might have needed some time to make its potential known, the hit animated comedy now has exactly the run that it requires to pull off its ambitious story. Some shows are meticulously planned before they ever air, while others operate on a season-by-season basis, never knowing if they will be renewed. Famously, Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s best quote comes from the show’s season 5 finale, which was written as a potential series finale in case the show wasn’t renewed.

While it might be exciting when shows that were intended to be one-off miniseries are renewed, this doesn’t always prove to be a great idea. A lot of fans prefer the later, more chaotic seasons of Netflix’s mystery hit, but the sheer size of Stranger Things season 5 and its highly divisive reception prove that the show might have been better off as a miniseries. This was the original plan before season 1 proved to be an unexpectedly major success upon its 2016 release.

If there’s one show that can justify planning more than one season ahead, it is creator Vivienne Medrano’s Hazbin Hotel. An anarchic musical blend of The Good Place and Rick and Morty, Hazbin Hotel follows the story of Charlie Morningstar, the unexpectedly chirpy princess of Hell, who hopes to use the titular “Hazbin Hotel” as a way to get doomed sinners to repent, become redeemed, and gain access to Heaven. The alternative, due to Hell’s overpopulation, is a horrific annual culling by Heaven’s callous angels, who destroy souls in a genocidal purge known as “Extermination.” With the help of a diverse array of supporting characters, Charlie attempts to put her ambitious plan into practice despite resistance from all sides.

Prime Video’s Hazbin Hotel Will End With Season 5

If that sounds like enough worldbuilding for a Netflix sci-fi show, that’s because it is. Although popular, critically acclaimed live-action sci-fi dramas and thrillers like Silo, Fallout, Altered Carbon, For All Mankind, Foundation, and Dune: Prophecy have made dense lore more common on TV and streaming, Hazbin Hotel’s story is still not very approachable for newcomers unfamiliar with the series. This was the chief complaint of critics who took issue with the series, which otherwise received largely stellar reviews.

Most reviewers called Hazbin Hotel a bright, funny, daring, and hilariously risqué animated musical comedy with impressive visuals, toe-tapping musical numbers, and strong character comedy at its core. However, the complaint that the show’s mythos was too knotty and complex was a common one, and Hazbin Hotel’s sprawling cast of characters doesn’t help the show to fight these allegations. Luckily, the show’s almost unprecedented renewal means this isn’t necessarily a problem.

Hazbin Hotel’s 5-Season Renewal Makes An Incredible Arc Possible

Hazbin Hotel has produced two eight-episode seasons to date, and has been renewed for another three already. Compared to most shows, which are only renewed season by season, the show has the unique opportunity to set up storylines across its three future guaranteed seasons. It’s the sort of big canvas that is usually reserved for blockbusters like Game of Thrones or The Boys, and this means Hazbin Hotel can justify its complex plot.

The show’s comedic vision of the afterlife is as compelling as anything from The Good Place or the underrated Prime sci-fi satire Upload, but Hazbin Hotel now has an advantage over both those shows. The series can justify its complicated premise and ensure a satisfying ending to the stories of each character, since Hazbin Hotel has already been renewed for not just one more season, but three that will allow the show to round out its plot.