‘Instinct’ Star Alan Cumming Speaks out After Show Cancellation

Alan Cumming is celebrating the legacy of his CBS drama, Instinct, after news of the show’s cancellation. The CBS crime procedural, which followed a police consultant solving strange crimes, was announced to not be returning for a third season. The show’s Season 2 finale, which will now serve as the show’s final episode, will air on Aug. 25.

The actor, who played Dylan Reinhart, took to Instagram Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to his time on the show, as well as discuss the show’s legacy as the first broadcast network series to have an openly gay lead character.

“So the word is out. [Instinct] will not be returning for a third season,” he started the lengthy caption, alongside multiple behind-the-scenes photos from the set.

“Almost exactly three years ago I was sent a galley copy of a book by [James Patterson] and [Howard Roughan] and then I met the show runner [Michael Rauch] who was to adapt it for TV and I jumped in,” he added. “And I’m still in, for two more episodes tomorrow and the last one ever next Sunday.”

“And while I’m sorry I won’t be getting to play with [Bojana Novakovic] and the rest of the amazing cast and crew again, I’m grateful for two seasons of fun and gore and feeling like a dandy thanks to [Dan Lawson] costumes, and selfies with corpses and vegan options at catering and Lala’s occasional guest appearances in the police station when she got bored in her basket beneath my desk,” he praised.

He then touched on the show’s legacy as a milestone for LGBT representation, he wrote: “I’m also proud to have played the first every (sic) leading character in a US network drama who is gay. Yes, really. Because of [Instinct] millions of people will have seen a same sex marriage portrayed for the first time and I hope we changed and opened some minds in the process.”

Novakovic, who co-starred on the series as Elizabeth “Lizzie” Needham, also reacted to the cancellation news with an NSFW response.

“WELL THIS SUCKS BALLS. But when one door closes another… actually f— that. This sucks balls. Love to all our fans and the most incredible cast and crew. Thank you all for an incredible two years,” she wrote on Twitter shortly after news broke of the show ending.

Instinct airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Past episodes are available to stream on CBS All Access.