Milo Ventimiglia built an impressive career starring in long running shows. Beginning with Gilmore girls and in the end Heroes before his role as Jack Pearson in This is us, Ventimiglia often participated in exhibitions that have stood the test of time. That’s why there was a lot of optimism around his new project on ABC. The company you keep. Not only did Ventimigilia play the main role in it opposite Katherine Hena Kim, but he was also an executive producer. The show turned out strong thanks to marketing support and an interesting premise, but even that couldn’t keep this show going beyond the first season. ABC decided not to renew the show after the season finale aired.
Cancellation is annoying, because The company you keep really aiming to bring something different to network TV. There was a funny “will be, won’t be” trope at the beginning, and a bit of forbidden love that served as the basis for the series. The cast was also strong at a convincing performance that made the seemingly improbable storyline actually feel like there were some stakes behind it. The finale also had some interesting twists and turns that set up some potentially funny storytelling for the second season, which really makes the show’s cancellation all the more disappointing.
‘The Company You Keep’ has spent a lot of time preparing future seasons
The company you keep it seemed like it took the show about three seasons to really tell the story it wanted. At some point, the skirmishes between Charlie and Emma could go on for a very long time, and once that dynamic was over, the show needed to find something new to latch on to. Surprisingly, the first season decided to reveal all their secrets fairly early on, which opened up a new direction for them as a couple - and set up at least one of the major storylines the finale was trying to create for the coming season.
Also playing in the early stages of the first season was the idea of Emma and Charlie coming from two completely different worlds, one protecting the country and the other stealing money from the rich. The two conflicting interests really made their love story intriguing. However, the show offered much more than a central plot between the two. Their respective families, the Nicoletti and the Hills, added their own storylines that served as a much-needed addition to the cons that were running in the foreground. Many of these secondary characters have had interesting backstories, such as Emma’s brother, David (Tim Chiu), running for re-election, and the relationship between Birdie (Sarah Wayne Callies) and her ex (and the father of her child) Simon (Jeff Stults), which returned to the frame in the middle of the season. There was a lot that The company you keep had storylines in his arsenal, many of which never had the opportunity to be concretized.
Emma and Charlie’s relationship could have been an exciting season 2
Where the first season ended, the writers probably envisioned a new trajectory for the show to start. Emma and Charlie toyed with the idea of living together both romantically and eventually as professional partners in fighting criminals. The latter did add an unexpected twist, but one that pushed the storyline further into a potential second season. After defeating Connor McGuire (Barry Sloan) and his joint activities, it not only showed that Charlie and Emma could work together, but also what their future might look like. The finale prepared them for new crossovers with Emma creating her own undercover operation outside of the CIA, which would allow Charlie to continue working on the other side of the line as his family sought to transcend their illegal activities.
There is still hope that another network will come along and revive this show. There are plenty of examples of how this happens. Show like Manifesto started on NBC and moved to Netflix, as did Lucifer left FOX for the same streamer. Ventimiglia’s popularity could also help give the show a second life. After all, there is still so much to explore on this show with everything laid out in the first season and so much to root for in terms of romance at its core.
First season The company you keep available for streaming on Hulu.
Source: Collider
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