Fan-Favorite Netflix Series Gets Surprise Season 3 in May

On Wednesday, Netflix announced that Master of None is getting a brand new season in about a month — over two years after the show’s last installment and well after many fans had given up hope on it. The sitcom stars Aziz Ansari and was quietly dropped around the time that Ansari was accused of sexual misconduct. Now, fans have mixed feelings about the show’s return.

Like many Netflix original series, Master of None was never formally canceled or renewed but hung in limbo after Season 2 premiered in 2017. At the time, Ansari told Vulture: “I don’t know if we’re going to do a Season 3. I wouldn’t be surprised if I needed a looong break before I could come back to it.” That interview was before a woman published an op-ed on Babe.net detailing a sexual encounter with Ansari that made her uncomfortable. However, that doesn’t mean the prolonged wait for a new season was unrelated to the public backlash.

Ansari’s anonymous accuser acknowledged that the comedian apologized to her as soon as she informed him that she was uncomfortable with their encounter, and culture critics debated whether Ansari’s behavior constituted “misconduct,” “harassment” or even “assault.” Most agreed that this incident existed in a gray area, which was important to discuss.

Those discussions carry on, and may well even play into Master of None Season 3. The show returns sometime next month, though an exact date has not yet been set. In the meantime, here is a look at what fans and critics are saying about the surprise renewal online.

Buried the Lede

The announcement of Master of None Season 3 was included in a broad list of Netflix announcements without any special fanfare, to the surprise of many. Some questioned why the company would give so little attention to the update, for better or worse.

Restored Faith

Some fans who have become frustrated with Netflix and its uncertain renewal and cancellation policies said that this news helped them forgive the company. Seeing a fan-favorite return from the grave like this made all the waiting worth it.

Rewatch

Many were excited for the excuse to start a full Master of None re-watch ahead of the big premiere.

Ahead

There have been reports and rumors over the last few months that Master of None Season 3 was in production, though clearly, they did not reach a wide audience. The fans who did see these reports felt like they were ahead of the curve on Wednesday’s news.

Retrospective

The renewal had some fans thinking back on the previous two seasons without re-watching them, and deciding whether or not it would be worth it to jump into the next installment. Most seemed eager for another chance.

Thank You Aziz

Knowing that it was up to Ansari as much as Netflix to bring the show back, many fans thanked the comedian for returning in spite of the obvious dangers to his reputation.

Canceled

Finally, commentary on Ansari being “canceled” was broached cautiously and sparingly on social media, with no real consensus on his actions or his apology. Master of None Season 3 is expected to hit Netflix sometime in May of 2021.