Long before V Wars Season 1 even came out, star/director/producer Ian Somerhalder made it clear on social media that he was eager for Netflix to renew the show for Season 2. The vampire sci-fi show -- very different from Somerhalder's turn as Damon Salvatore on The Vampire Diaries -- premiered on December 5, 2019. One month later, Somerhalder is asking fans for a favor to help convince Netflix to order V Wars Season 2.
Ian Somerhalder wants fans to not only watch the 10 episodes of V Wars Season 1, but also to rate the episodes high across the web, specifically on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Dr. Luther Swann actor took to his Instagram Stories to note the critic vs. fan disparity on Rotten Tomatoes. So far, the show only has seven ratings from critics, and the result is a "rotten" (but barely) 43%. On the other hand, 3,027 users (so far) have rated V Wars at 95%.
Ian Somerhalder posted that he didn't expect critics to get V Wars. "This show is for YOU. And Me." He followed that post with this screenshot of the high audience score, asking fans to help it get even higher:
Netflix keeps its cards close to its chest when it comes to viewership figures. Sometimes the streamer will list its most-watched shows, or reveal actual numbers when a movie or show has gotten a remarkable number of views. But the data isn't verified by third parties. As a producer on V Wars, as well as one of the two main stars, Ian Somerhalder probably has access to a lot of data about the show. He has been sharing when V Wars is the top show around the world.
Without knowing exactly what Netflix is looking for, beyond high viewership, it does seem like it would make a strong argument to go into the executives' office with a 99% (or even 95%, really) audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a list of times the show was trending. It might also help to boost that IMDb score since it's only at 6.1/10 at this point.
If enough viewers make it clear that they want V Wars Season 2 and will protest if they don't get it, maybe that will help. We have seen how upset fans get when Netflix cancels shows, so it's probably smart to be proactive and try to make the case now in a positive way so no one has to do another #CancelNetflix protest after-the-fact.
It took the V Wars team a long time to make Season 1 and there's a lot of story left to tell for Season 2 or beyond. Author Jonathan Maberry provided a lot more material to mine in his books, and both Ian Somerhalder and Michael Fayne actor Adrian Holmes are eager to return for more. Somerhalder has been actively getting Vampire Diaries fans on his side, praising Damon Salvatore as one of TV's best-written characters while also trying to earn more fans for his new V Wars human hero Dr. Luther Swann.
After watching V Wars Season 1, I posted a poll asking fans if they want a Season 2, and the result was an overwhelming yes. So will you go out and contact Netflix on social media and rate the show high to make it clear that you want more?
As we wait for news on a V Wars Season 2 renewal, keep up with all of Netflix's 2020 premiere and return dates with our handy schedule.
