Sense 8 an American science fiction drama web televIsion series will not return for another Season, this is after the series aired up to 23 episodes in its two seasons.

In a statement from Cindy Holland, VP Netflix original content, Ms Holland said that after 23 episodes, 16 cities and 13 countries, the story of the Sense8 cluster was coming to an end as it was everything we and the fans dreamed it would be: bold, emotional, stunning, kick ass, and outright unforgettable.

“Never has there been a more truly global show with an equally diverse and international cast and crew, which is only mirrored by the connected community of deeply passionate fans all around the world. We thank Lana, Lilly, Joe and Grant for their vision, and the entire cast and crew for their craftsmanship and commitment,” she added.

Created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski for Netflix, Sense8 is a series celebrated by fans for its diversity and LGBTQ inclusivity. The production companies behind Sense8 include the Wachowskis’ Anarchos Productions (replaced by Lana and her wife’s Venus Castina Productions in the second season), Straczynski’s Studio JMS, and Georgeville Television, with Unpronounceable Productions having been set up specifically for this show.

The show’s first season introduced a multinational ensemble cast, with Aml Ameen, Doona Bae, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton, Max Riemelt, Miguel Ángel Silvestre and Brian J. Smith portraying eight strangers from different parts of the world who suddenly become “sensates”; human beings who are mentally and emotionally linked.

Freema Agyeman, Terrence Mann, Anupam Kher, Naveen Andrews and Daryl Hannah also star. In the second season Toby Onwumere replaces Ameen. According to Wikipedia the show aims to explore subjects that its creators feel have not been emphasized in many science fiction shows to date, such as  politics, identity, sexuality, gender and religion.

The series also featured  a number of scenes from Kenya as well as Kenya’s actor, Paul Ogola casting as Jela, a matatu tout who is a friend to one of the telepathically Sense 8s “Capheus” who together they run a bus business.

Each episode of Sense8 was written by the Wachowskis and Straczynski in the first season; in the second season, Lilly Wachowski took a break from the show, and the scripts were written by just Lana Wachowski and Straczynski. Most of the episodes of the two seasons were directed by the Wachowskis (or just Lana, in the second season), with the remainder being divided between their frequent collaborators James McTeigue, Tom Tykwer and Dan Glass. Lilly’s break during the second season marked the first time in the sisters’ career that they did not work together as a writing and directing unit. Sense8 was filmed almost entirely on location in a multitude of cities around the world.

The first season, consisting of 12 episodes, became available for streaming on Netflix on June 5, 2015, and was met with generally favorable critical reception. It became notable for its presentation of LGBT characters and themes, winning the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series. It has also been recognized with a Location Managers Guild award for its use of locations as an integral part of the story, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.

Netflix released the first episode of the second season, a two-hour Christmas special, on December 23, 2016; the remaining 10 episodes of the season were released on May 5, 2017. The season was met with positive critical reception. On June 1, 2017, Netflix announced that they had cancelled the series, despite preliminary negotiations with the cast for a third season.

However, the news was not received well by the Sense 8 Fans, Hashtags like #RenewSense8 and #BringBackSense8 are trending on Twitter. And a Change.org petition is urging Netflix to reconsider its cancellation and renew Sense8 for a third season. It’s also demanding answers.

“The cancellation of Sense 8 – season 3 has been completely unexpected. We don’t know any reasons yet, however it’s quite strange that a show that has received such positive response from a wide and heterogeneous audience, gets cancelled,” read the petition on change.org

The petition added, “Being fans of the series, we would like to know a valid explanation, arguing why “Sense 8” has been cancelled. We believe it is necessary that tv shows and movies which, from its content, provide the world with a message of love, diversity and respect. All these values have been brought to life by the characters of the show, and the message it has is extremely important for society.”

At the time of this article’s publication, 395,962 supporters had signed the petition, The goal is to reach 500,000 supporters to sign the petition.