Breaking Down the Controversial ‘Good Girls’ Cancelation Following Retta’s Claims: ‘1 Person Ruined It for All Cast and Crew’

Credit: Universal Television/Kobal/Shutterstock

Breaking Down the Controversial 'Good Girls' Cancelation Following Retta's Claims: '1 Person Ruined It for All Cast and Crew'

A complicated situation. The real reason behind Good Girls' shocking cancelation has continued to be a topic of discussion. The NBC series, which premiered in February 2018, followed three suburban mothers who get caught up in the world of crime while trying to make ends meet. Viewers saw Christina Hendricks, Retta and Mae Whitman bring the fictional friend group to life as they dealt with the aftermath of a successful robbery that turned into gang heists. Ahead of the show's season 4 finale, news broke that Good Girls would not be returning for another season. “Feel too sad and confused to look at phone but just a little look back at some of the best times with my girls," Whitman wrote via Instagram Story in June 2021. “Love my pals on this cast so much and love you guys who loved the show. It was such a joy being Annie and I’m forever grateful to you for supporting us. K me go cry now.” At the time, fans speculated that a costar rift may have led to the unexpected cancelation. Costars Hendricks and Manny Montana raised eyebrows over the years with their public statements about playing love interests on the show. [jwplayer VDusUFsa-zhNYySv2] The actor previously offered a glimpse at how the duo approached their scenes together, telling "The Total Celebrity Show" podcast in 2020, “We come in, do our job, and then go home. It’s very business-like.” Hendricks, for her part, also opened up about where her relationship with her coworker stands off screen. “He’s a great actor and we have great chemistry working together and ... He’s just ... It’s just a very sort of respectful work," she told Medium in 2019. "You know, it’s funny, because I know people love [Beth and Rio]. We, of course ... love that. It’s exciting and stuff. But it’s not as ... it’s much more professional than anyone would think.” The Mad Men actress later hinted at tension when she pointed out that Montana doesn't address her by her actual name. “Manny calls [me] Chris,” Hendricks explained during a panel at 92nd Street Y in 2021. “No one in my life calls me Chris. It’s not my name. I think it’s totally stupid. And he’s never taken the chance to realize that I hate it. It’s really weird.” In July 2022, Retta revealed she was still upset about the turn of events because Good Girls was "very close" to getting a season 5 renewal. “One person ruined it for all of cast and crew and so it’s not back,” she claimed during an appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan. According to the Parks and Recreation alum, issues behind the scenes made it difficult to move forward. “I think it was a little too close to when [the writers] would have to start [season 5 scripts] and figure out story, so ... no," Retta explained after being asked why the costar wasn't written off. "Trust me, Kelly, I’m salty!” Scroll on for a breakdown of Good Girls' controversial cancelation: [podcast_block]

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The Original Plan

After the show was axed, multiple actors confirmed that there were talks of renewing the drama for a shortened fifth and final season.

"[NBC] told us we were going to get picked up and then two weeks later yanked it out from underneath us and took it away from us," Hendricks claimed during an interview with People. "So, we were kind of all like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa.' Because we loved it. We loved doing it and Retta and Mae Whitman still are two of my best friends and we love working together."

At the time, the Emmy nominee said she felt that the network "failed massively" when it came to representing the show, adding, "It was quirky and weird and smart and they kind of made it just look like a sitcom."

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The Obstacles

According to TV Line, the show's leading ladies agreed to take pay cuts to return for a potential season 5. Production was set to begin in spring 2022, however, Good Girls was canceled instead. The outlet noted that Montana was not officially on board to return for a final season.

Credit: Good Girls/YouTube

The Final Decision

In June 2021, NBC announced that Good Girls would not be coming back after the season 4 finale. The series wrapped up one month later.

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What Could Have Been

Following the surprising news, cast members from the show discussed their appreciation for the project.

"That job to me was a dream. I was gonna direct next season. We were shooting in L.A., obviously I have three kids and being in L.A. is such a gift," Matthew Lillard exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2022. "I love the creators. I love playing a character that's super flawed and has a chance to come back and sort of redeem himself over the generations of the show over the seasons of the show. So for me it was — it was heartbreaking. And I think [it was] for everyone, I think for all the women involved. Strong women led by a strong female producer, and it just fell between the cracks of Hollywood business. And it was really a bummer."

Lauren Lapkus also admitted that she was bummed when Good Girls wasn't renewed.

“It was so disappointing. I mean, I know there were rumors of what was maybe going to happen and how it was going to work out,” she shared with Us in April 2022. “That's the hard thing about a show being canceled without that warning is that they didn't get to sum up all of the stories the way they would've wanted to, I'm sure. So that's the tricky part is, I think, it can be a little bit of a letdown when you can't wrap it all up in a nice bow.”

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More to the Story

In July 2022, Retta hinted that one of her former costars didn't want to return for a final season of Good Girls. As a result, the network decided to pull the plug on the show.

“I was literally like, ‘OK, maybe there was a bomb scare at some point, and then a bomb actually went off, and that’s why that person’s gone,'” the actress said during an appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan, referring to her personal pitch about how the colleague could have been written off.