First Kill – Picture: Netflix
One of the big new premieres of 2022 for Netflix is First Kill, a new teen drama series that sees a vampire fall in love with a vampire hunter. First Kill definitely sets up a second season, but will we be heading back for a season 2? Here’s what we know.
Arriving on June 3rd, 2022, the new series from V.E. Schwab sees Juliette and Calliope falling in love much to the disappointment and surprise of everyone around them.
Among the cast for the series included Imani Lewis as Calliope Burns, Sarah Catherine Hook as Juliette Fairmont, Elizabeth Mitchell as Margot Fairmont, and Gracie Dzienny as Elinor Fairmont.
The reviews for the series have seemingly divided critics and audiences. On RottenTomatoes, the show holds a 52% with critics but 93% so far with audiences. Over on IMDb, the series is clocking in with a 6.2. It’s worth noting that the show has garnered a big and vocal following on social media.
Variety’s Caroline Framke was perhaps harshest on the series saying:
“For all the work First Kill puts into making sure it hits all the right notes, the series feels more like an uncanny valley version of what it’s attempting to be rather than a worthwhile story all its own.”
Has Netflix renewed First Kill for a season 2?
Official renewal status: Not yet renewed
Our renewal prediction: 50/50
In terms of our prediction, we think it’s too early to call on the show’s future. Typically, if we see drops of over 50% in viewership, it’s likely the show doesn’t stand a chance. We’ll cover the performance of the show in the next section.
Ultimately, the renewal will depend on the series’s performance and, particularly, how well it performs in weeks 2, 3, and 4. Things don’t look particularly promising.
Should the series not get renewed, many fans of the show already have an answer as to why with many taking to social media to complain about the marketing for the series.
First Kill – Picture: Netflix
How well is First Kill performing on Netflix?
In its first three days on Netflix globally, the show picked up 30.34 million hours placing it number 7 for that week. It was up against stiff competition in that first week competing with Surviving Summer (also hoping to get a second season) and Stranger Things dominating both headlines and viewership.
In week 2, the show scored 48.77 million hours viewed, representing a 61% increase in viewership but that came crashing down in week 3 when the show saw a 62% drop in viewing hours.
It didn’t feature for a fourth week, meaning it was watched for less than 15.02 million hours that week.
In total, First Kill scored 97.66 million hours viewed on Netflix globally between June 5th and June 26th.
| Week Period | Hours Viewed(M) | Rank | Week in Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 5th, 2022 to June 12th, 2022 | 30,340,000 | 7 | 1 |
| June 12th, 2022 to June 19th, 2022 | 48,770,000 (+61%) | 3 | 2 |
| June 19th, 2022 to June 26th, 2022 | 18,550,000 (-62%) | 9 | 3 |
We can compare First Kill’s first three-day debut to other shows to see how it stacks up. If we compare against Heartstopper (which dropped with episodes with lower runtime, it’s worth noting), that show only managed 14.55 million views.
Another comparison would be In From The Cold, another sci-fi/fantasy-esque show with a similar makeup. That achieved 24.72M hours in its first 3 days on the service. That show hasn’t been renewed for a season 2 yet, but it’s worth noting that it saw a 64% drop in viewership from weeks 2 to 3.
Data from Parrot Analytics (published via TheWrap) suggests the show’s interest in week 2 shot up 90% and placed the series just behind Ms. Marvel and ahead of Gaslit in terms of demand.
10 most in-demand new shows, U.S. – Picture: Parrot Analytics
We can also look at raw top 10 data from FlixPatrol who collects the daily top 10s from around the world and applies points to the show depending on its position. They note that the show is still growing in popularity and as of June 15th was the third most popular title on Netflix globally behind Stranger Things and Peaky Blinders.
The global map below shows you where the show is performing best with Brazil, Eastern Europe, and the United Kingdom being the strongest performing countries for the show so far.
First Kill world performance on Netflix – Picture: FlixPatrol
Google Trends can also provide us with some insight into how well the series stacks up in terms of demand in searches. We’ve compared the show against some other debut shows in 2022 including In From The Cold, Heartstopper and Vikings: Valhalla.
As you can see, the show has made a modest start and has surpassed In From The Cold but is likely going to come in under the demand of Vikings: Valhalla (renewed through to season 3) and far short of Heartstopper (which was renewed for two additional seasons).
Google Trends chart for First Kill vs In From The Cold, Heartstopper, and Vikings: Valhalla
Finally, we like using IMDb’s MOVIEmeter charts which measures popularity in its movie and show database (and boasts over half a billion visits a month) which shows the show had next to no anticipation leading up to the release but debuted at 63. In week 2, the show rose in popularity hitting #11 but since then it’s been on the decline.
IMDb MovieMeter data for First Kill
What to expect from season 2 of First Kill on Netflix
A quick recap of the season 1 finale before we dive into where we’re headed next.
Here’s a reminder of what happened in the final episode:
“Blood flows and betrayal burns after a shocking turn of events leaves devastation in its wake – and tests the bonds of love between Cal and Juliette.”
First Kill – Picture: Netflix
That ultimately leads to a big bust-up with the relationship seemingly dead between Juliette and Calliope, with Cal vowing to kill Juliette and all legacies like her one day.
One of the big story threads going into a second season would be Theo, who is now becoming a vampire, and his journey into that world and coming to terms with his new reality.
As DigitalSpy notes, Elinor is in a spot of bother for a second season by saying:
“Elinor’s part in the whole Theo-vamp debacle has inadvertently landed her in police custody. Without her parent’s help to save her, how will she escape jail? We smell multiple murders on the horizon.”
Before we go, we should not that Victoria “V.E.” Schwab, the creator and writer of the Netflix show and its source material, posted on Instagram that she’s diving back into the world of Shades of Magic with her next entry in the novel series.
Would you like to see First Kill return for a second season on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.
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