Apple TV's Cancelled Gritty Thriller Continues Streaming Success

2 hours ago 6

Johnny Knoxville stands in the snow, looking serious in The Last Frontier

Published Feb 1, 2026, 4:00 PM EST

Denis is a news writer for Collider. He has covered television for several years, starting with writing scripts for YouTube videos before transitioning to articles. He has reviewed shows across different genres. His favorite types of articles to write are exciting news updates about shows and episodic reviews of the same. He might say he doesn't have a favorite show, but he has watched The Wire, Shameless, The Big Bang Theory, and The Blacklist more than once. Find him on X tweeting about something random that occurred to him about a TV show or the industry.

The Last Frontier is yet to slow down despite being canceled over a month ago. Data from FlixPatrol shows that the Jon Bokenkamp drama is one of the most-watched shows on Apple TV, ranking eighth on the streamer's top ten chart at the time of writing. It's odd for a show to remain this popular weeks after its cancellation, since viewers tend to drop it to avoid further investment in something that might never be resolved. While imperfect by many metrics, the thriller's twisty storyline, gritty setting, and enigmatic characters made it an exciting watch.

The Last Frontier "follows Frank Remnick (Jason Clarke), the lone U.S. marshal in charge of the quiet, rugged barrens of Alaska. Remnick's jurisdiction is turned upside down when a prison transport plane crashes in the remote wilderness, setting free dozens of violent inmates. Tasked with protecting the town he's vowed to keep safe, he begins to suspect the crash wasn't an accident, but the first step of a well-crafted plan with far-reaching and devastating implications." Co-created by The Blacklist's creator Bokenkamp and Richard D'Ovidio, The Last Frontier also stars Dominic Cooper, Haley Bennett, Simone Kessell, Dallas Goldtooth, Tait Blum, and Alfre Woodard.

Is 'The Last Frontier' Worth Watching?

The show did not get the warmest reception from critics or viewers. Its first and only season has a 46% critics' rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience rating of 50%. The 10-episode first season premiered on October 19 and concluded on December 5, 2025. Two weeks later, Apple TV canceled the series despite its creators teasing a potential Season 2 storyline. The cancellation was reportedly influenced by the poor reception, low viewership, and a creative decision. Collider's Jeff Ewing enjoyed the first season and praised it for keeping viewers engaged. An excerpt from his review of The Last Frontier Season 1 reads:

"Overall, Apple TV's The Last Frontier is a solidly conceived and executed thriller. Every aspect of it continually evolves, from the layered narrative to each major character to our understanding of the massive organizations that operate in the shadows. Clarke delivers a top-shelf performance as an unyielding U.S. Marshal, and Bennett is memorable as an international woman of mystery. Between these ever-changing elements and clever sequences that successfully wield the setting's environmental bleakness, it's a series that never settles for predictable storytelling."

All episodes of The Last Frontier are available to stream exclusively on Apple TV. Stay tuned for more updates.