'Shadowhunters': Freeform Clarifies Release Date of Final Episodes

Fans of Freeform's Shadowhunters have a bit of a wait for the second half of the third and final season of the series.

TV Line reports that, according to Freeform, the final episodes of Shadowhunters will not air until sometime in Spring 2019. This update clarifies a mid-August date that had been circulating for the premiere of Season 3B.

This news may be a little disappointing for fans as the series went on midseason hiatus back in May. The series' second season had a three-month break between the first and second halves, but with a Spring 2019 date they could be waiting almost a year to find out not only what comes next in Season 3, but how the series will close out. While no reason was given for the delay between season halves, it's likely that it's to allow the show time to work out how they want to wrap up the show.

It was announced earlier this month that Shadowhunters would be ending its run after three seasons. While the fan has a devoted fan base and the network indicated that they have been pleased with the show creatively, the decision to cancel it came down to economic reasons. Constantin Film, which co-produces Shadowhunters with Freeform, lost their output deal with Netflix and had asked Freeform for an increased investment, something that the network just couldn't make work.

"We went back and forth with them but ultimately we just couldn't make the economics work," network EVP of Programming and Development Karey Burke told Deadline. "We were very happy creatively with it."

As Constantin Film lost the deal with Netflix, Shadowhunters was pulled form that streaming service but has been available on Hulu, though recently information was released that indicated that Season 3A of the series would be leaving the streaming service early -- before Season 3B even debuted. However, TV Line confirmed that that was an error and that Season 3A is not leaving Hulu at this time.

However, even with the promise of a proper series wrap-up on Freeform, fans of the series aren't giving up on the hope of saving the show. Fans have been vocal online with a "#SaveShadowhunters" social media campaign as well as a charity fundraiser to help convince another network or streaming service to pick up the show. While, thus far, there's been no news of anyone interested in picking up Shadowhunters, series star Katherine McNamara told fans at Oz Comic-Con that when the show does return for its final episodes, they will be "amazing".

"If the [hashtags] make a difference, amazing, if not, we've got 10 more amazing episodes and we're going to shoot the most kick-ss finale you've ever seen," McNamara said.

What do you think about this update on when to expect Shadowhunters Season 3B? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: ComicBook.com