And so did we.
Deadline reports that Ashley Garcia, the genius behind The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia and Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love, will not be returning for a season 2. Instead, Ashley will bow out with a Christmas special that was filmed before the pandemic and that is not meant to tie up loose ends.
Netflix commissioned one 14 episode season of the show, which was released in two batches, the first in February, the second in July.
Created by Seth Kurland & Mario Lopez, the show followed Ashley Garcia, the “only 15-and-a-half-year-old robotics engineer and rocket scientist” in the world. You know the type: the smartest person in whatever room she walked into.
And she was latina.
It’s hard to underscore how much her existence meant, but just a couple of weeks ago, I had a chance to interview another latina, Aimee Garcia, who stars as Ella Lopez in Lucifer season 5. As we discussed her character she brought up Ashley Garcia, unprompted, as an example of the kind of representation we now have on TV.
Had.
This isn’t my first rodeo with Netflix cancelling a latinx led family show. I was right here with One Day At A Time, except back then Netflix was trying to pretend they cared. They’ve learned that lesson, at least. There’s no way to soften this blow, so why try?
Latinx representation is important. It’s necessary. And there isn’t anywhere near enough. There really, really isn’t.
So don’t try to tell us we’re moving forward, Hollywood. From where I’m standing, we’re being pushed backwards and being told we should be grateful at least some of us get to walk a little ahead.
