May of each year always brings some heartbreaking news, as we learn some of our favorite shows are being cancelled, and May 2025 was no exception, with the cancellations of The Irrational, Found, and Grosse Pointe Garden Society, along with some other fun shows.
While that cancellation was bad enough on its own, it’s been made worse by NBC’s lineup.
Sadly, Brilliant Minds has hit the pesky sophomore slump. The new season isn’t as good as the first, with a lot of focus on the overarching mystery rather than the arcs that made the show so special in the first place.
It’s because of this that I’m missing one cancelled show more than others.
Found Deserved Better
Out of all the canceled shows, Found hit the hardest.
This show was one of those that kept going strong throughout its second season. While The Irrational hit its own sophomore slump and Grosse Pointe Garden Society couldn’t find its audience in the first season (which did come down to scheduling issues), Found offered high-quality storytelling.
The acting was above par, and the episodes were meaningful and essential.
On top of that, the series kept the connection among the leading group of characters, even when they didn’t like each other or were angry about decisions that had been made.
Even as Sir was arrested and his contact with Gabi was limited, what we did get was still powerful and thought-provoking.
A lot of Found viewers watched on Peacock, and it was so popular there that it became considered a Peacock Original.
If it really didn’t work on NBC, then it should have gone there for a third season, as this was a show that deserved more.
Give Me a Reason to Lose a Show
I don’t mind losing a show if it’s for a genuine reason or if another show deserves the airtime.
Brilliant Minds could have been that show, and when I learned that the series was renewed despite all the other cancellations, I was ecstatic.
The problem is that Brilliant Minds Season 2 hasn’t met expectations and hasn’t been able to sustain what made the story so great in the first place.
One thing I just mentioned Found did in Season 2 is something that Brilliant Minds hasn’t: keeping the connection between the leading group of characters.
Season 2 started with a fractured team, and yet, everyone came together in support, and there were moments of hope that the team could mend. Once they did mend, we got back to what made Found Season 1 so great.
Meanwhile, Brilliant Minds Season 2 started with all the interns in a good place.
They had each other’s backs, and yet, the second season started them off in a fractured way — and seemingly for no reason.
It started with Jacob not even being part of the group because he was on his ED rotation, and Van was only in episodes here and there.
While Ericka and Dana got a lot of screentime, their relationship hit a rocky patch with Ericka not being able to open up about her anxiety issues and Dana sharing that she was the one to report Carol.
There’s this sense that Brilliant Minds was trying to create extra conflict when none was needed, because what made this series so special in the first place was watching four strangers become family.
And as I think about what TV is missing as 2025 comes to an end, it’s Found.
Had Brilliant Minds stayed on track, I wouldn’t have minded not having Found, but as of now, I’m not sure NBC chose the right show.
And I will say I absolutely hate saying that, given my love for Brilliant Minds.
NBC’s Thursday Lineup
Now, I will say that it’s not just Brilliant Minds’ slump that has me missing Found.
It’s also that The Hunting Party Season 2 didn’t end up in the fall lineup as planned. That show was supposed to take the Thursday 10/9c timeslot, which Found Season 2 had.
Instead, we got Law & Order: Organized Crime, which had moved to Peacock for its fifth season.
Now, I always thought that putting The Hunting Party on in the fall would be a bad move, and I wish that NBC had thought about this back in May.
Rather than putting on a show that had moved from NBC to Peacock, NBC could have renewed Found for Season 3, delivering on fresh, original, and necessary storytelling.
Even if we got half a season, there was a timeslot right there waiting for it.
So now, if you don’t mind me, I’m going to head over to Peacock to rewatch Found.
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