Despite previous reports of a second season, HBO has decided to scrap Vinyl. The 70s coke-fueled music industry retread of many, many better films and shows won’t be back, much to the chagrin of dozens of people who watched the entire first season.
In a statement, HBO said “After careful consideration, we have decided not to proceed with a second season of ‘Vinyl.’ Obviously, this was not an easy decision. We have enormous respect for the creative team and cast for their hard work and passion on this project.”
HBO was eager to give Vinyl a second season renewal, going so far as to green light another go days after the season 1 debut. But over time, viewers and critics began to figure out the feint that was Martin Scorsese’s overcooked drama. Personally, I made it through one episode before I realized the show had absolutely nothing new to offer to a scene which had been dragged through literally every artistic medium. It was a terrible show. Everyone involved, from Scorsese to Bobby Cannavale to Ray Romano and everyone in between, is better off moving on to something better that suits their incredible talents.
And HBO doesn’t need Vinyl to move forward; Westworld is just around the corner, and is poised to be the station’s next big thing. That trailer certainly indicated as much.
So put Vinyl in the pile with John From Cincinnati, Luck, and Tell Me You Love Me as one-and-done HBO experiments. The network’s batting average is still quite impressive. They can’t all be hits.
