Queen Of The South: A Journey From Poverty To Power

Queen of the South has been a sleeper hit for Netflix, with millions around the world tuning in for the heart-stopping adventures of Teresa Mendoza (played by Alice Braga) going from a life of poverty to a cartel power player. This thrilling drama has captivated audiences with its intense storytelling and strong characters, creating a dedicated fanbase that eagerly awaited each new episode.

This April, Netflix released the latest set of episodes of the USA Network show, which fans eagerly binged. If those fans are waiting for a Season 6, however, they will be disappointed—those episodes will be the final ones for the show. The conclusion of the series leaves many wondering what made it such a beloved series and why it ultimately had to end.

These new episodes of Queen of the South actually first aired on USA back in summer 2021—around the same time that the network announced that the show had been canceled. The news left fans in shock, as they had grown attached to the characters and the gripping plotlines. Here's what the network, cast, and crew have said about why Queen of the South is not getting a Season 6.

Why Has Queen of the South Been Canceled?

USA announced that Season 5 of the show would be its last back in March 2021, one month before the new episodes started airing. At that time, Entertainment Networks (who own USA) chairperson Frances Berwick said in a statement: “For five incredible seasons, Queen of the South has captivated us with brilliant storytelling and bold, powerful characters.”

“This series broke boundaries for the genre, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with this incredible team of creators, cast, and crew along with our studio partners at 20th Television and UCP. As we close this final chapter, we look forward to a great season culminating in a finale that will give our fans the ending they deserve.”

At the time of the cancellation, the show was a hit for USA and was still the most-watched original drama on the network. So why did they cancel it? Because the network is moving away from making original dramas. At the time that the show came to an end, the channel had just three original dramas left: Queen of the South, The Sinner, and Dirty John.

The Sinner was canceled in November 2021, and no plans have been announced for a third season of Dirty John. USA did air original drama Chucky in late 2021 (which it shared with Syfy), but it has not been confirmed whether it would also air Season 2, meaning that at the moment USA has no original dramas left.

Could Netflix decide to bring Queen of the South back? Technically yes, though so far they have not done so with any USA show that has been a hit for them, such as Dare Me. Also, USA brought the show to a definite conclusion, and there has been no news of a Netflix revamp in the nearly a year since the series finale aired on USA.

Co-showrunner Dailyn Rodriguez spoke to Deadline about getting the chance to give the show a definitive ending. She said: “I felt this enormous amount of peace, ending the series, and an enormous amount of beauty. I think that this series can be so dark, and violent, and sad, on many levels, and it starts in a very sad place, with what happens to Teresa in the pilot. There’s so much poetry, and beauty, ending the series in this sunny, beautiful place which is like nothing we’ve ever seen before on the show...I find that ending to be very, very emotionally satisfying, and I’m hoping the audience feels the same way.”

Queen of the South Seasons 1 to 5 are streaming now on Netflix.