Netflix’s Inside Job, despite positive audience reception and a renewal for season two, has unfortunately been canceled. Created by Shion Takeuchi, Inside Job took a humorous look at the world of interconnected conspiracy theories, crafting a relatable lead in the form of super-scientist Reagan Ridley while poking fun at the shadowy organizations that supposedly govern the world behind the scenes. While it leaned heavily into the typical humor you’d find in other adult-animated shows, there was a genuine heart underneath it all that made the show compelling to watch.
Despite the recent second batch of episodes being listed as “Part 2,” it’s technically “Part 2 of Season 1.” Inside Job was originally renewed for a full-length second season in June 2022, but was canceled in January 2023 to the shock of just about everyone. As it stands now, Inside Job is yet another Netflix-approved project that remains unfinished, unfulfilled, and unnecessarily cut short. But, given the show’s unique concept and resonance with streaming audiences, should another network give Inside Job the revival it deserves?
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Inside Job Is Unfinished
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While Inside Job’s first part had to establish its many colorful characters, part two dramatically expanded upon both its characters and the relationships between them. Reagan Ridley, the workaholic at Cognito Inc., takes a gargantuan step forward in growing as a person towards the end of part two.
The emotional conclusion to Inside Job featured a one-two punch of emotional decision-making by Reagan. Rand Ridley, Reagan’s emotionally neglectful father, originally stole her promotion out from under her at the conclusion of part one, all while continuing to antagonize her throughout the majority of part two. This relationship came to a head during the penultimate episode, as Rand nearly destroys the world with a doomsday device called Project Reboot. After the failure of Project Reboot, a machine meant to generate “Mandela effects” that alter the state of reality, Rand reveals to Reagan that his ultimate end goal was to find a reality in which he had both Reagan and his ex-wife happily together again. It’s a heart-wrenching climax that recontextualizes his actions from previous episodes.
Reagan also had a relationship with Ron Staedtler, a member of the Illuminati who she initially comes into conflict with. However, the two gradually bond over their hatred for their respective organizations, with Staedtler feeling genuinely remorseful for the atrocities he’s committed over the years. The two enter a somewhat stable relationship, forming an almost perfect union that, unfortunately, wasn’t meant to be. Reagan’s relationship comes into direct conflict with her goals at Cognito Inc., as Ron seeks to run away from it all while Reagan finally gets a chance to elevate herself professionally. After realizing there’s not a single reality in which Reagan can manage these two things in tandem, she makes a sacrifice in wiping Ron’s memory, allowing him to finally live peacefully without any inkling of his shady occupation. However, in doing so, the time they spent together is now lost forever.
A lot is left on the table: the Robes, the masked figures that make up the all-powerful Shadow Board, are still an ominous presence with equally mysterious motivations. If they’re to be believed, they’ve been single-handedly responsible for shaping humanity’s path through eons of staged disasters, both man-made and natural in origin. An offhand comment that Reagan “was only human” lends some credence to the idea that they’re not of this world, or at the very least aren’t human.
Some characters could get some more development on top of everything else. The leads of Reagan and Brett received plenty of attention, making them even stronger characters than they were at the conclusion of part one. But the show’s side characters, like Glenn Dolphman and Andre Lee, remain relegated to one-off jokes or only minor roles. It’d be nice to see them in a more serious context. Brett shifted from a comically-friendly guy to someone with genuine depth and motivation behind his actions, so it wouldn’t be unexpected to see others get the same treatment.
What Networks Could Air Inside Job?
While there are more instances of shows on television being revived on streaming instead of the other way around, it’s certainly not without precedent. Given that the show hasn’t even been canceled for more than a month at the time of writing, there’s a faint glimmer of hope that Inside Job could continue somewhere else.
A common suggestion mentioned by fans of Inside Job is one that would effortlessly mesh well with its unconventional setting: Adult Swim. The late-night network previously took Netflix’s Tuca & Bertie for two additional seasons, beautifully expanding on the world of its titular characters at the minor cost of some additional censorship. While some aspects of the show may have to be toned down for television broadcasting, it’d still be a fantastic home for the world of tin-foil hats and shadow organizations. If this doesn’t play out, a shift towards a premium cable network might be possible as well. A recent example would be the recently-canceled HBO Max show Minx, which found a new home on Starz. Moving onto another streaming service entirely isn’t completely out of the cards either.
We’re still not too far away from seeing Inside Job continue in some form or another. Even if it doesn’t necessarily get continued as a show, continuations can and do exist in separate mediums. The cult-classic series Invader Zim was originally canceled in 2002, before receiving an official comic continuation in 2015 and an entire original film on Netflix in 2019. As for Inside Job, there are still plenty of stories to tell in its universe, whether it’s on streaming or some other form entirely.
