Yesterday was the first day of DuckTales 2017’s last hiatus of 2020 (because the hiatus will most likely last until at least February 2021). As Pirate Steven has recently blogged there is a lot to look forward to in the last five to six episodes of the season. But in true DuckTwitter fashion the day went from excitement over “How Santa Stole Christmas!” to somber realizations that we are in hiatus, and then to… Papa John’s interactions…?

However, before the night was over everyone gathered behind the rally cry #RenewDuckTales2017. DuckTales’ seasons 2 and 3 were quickly announced, but so far in 2020 we had not heard whether the show would return for a fourth season. We had all remained hopeful for some time, but as the end of season 3 neared we couldn’t help but feel that this would be the end of the show.

As Tweets began to use the hashtag, one lone crusader decided to share in the fun by insisting the show is over and that the attempt was futile. Everyone gasped and clutched their tissues as they realized this account had a blue check mark… Verified.

And then the lamenting and the sobbing began as we faced the realization that someone with connection in the industry was pulling the Christmas tree rug out from under our collective feet. Next all of the fan accounts began confirming what many of us had been suspecting in recent months… Sadly DuckTwitter went to bed disheartened and worried.

As I lay in bed, after recording a podcast episode that was hijacked by the tweet, I couldn’t help but scroll through all of the gloomy tweets from friends and fellow DuckFans who didn’t deserve to find out from this tweet. As I scrolled I kept seeing declarations that DuckTales 2017 had been cancelled, but that isn’t accurate…

There is a big difference between a show being cancelled and a show ending. Now that we know the end of the show may be imminent (I don’t like how this was stated in the tweet, but I don’t disagree that the show is ending with S3), we can look back on season 3 and see there were many signs that season 3 has been planned as the end of the series.

First of all, we were all dumbfounded when it was announced the show runners requested to have the show moved to Disney XD. It was stated this would allow the show to have a more consistent release, but that always seemed like a poor trade off for the Disney Channel’s broader audience. I think it was even said the decision was an emotional one because Disney XD was so supportive of the show’s beginnings. I don’t know that this was a sound decision if the show wanted a renewal for another season. I believe they wanted the show on Disney XD because a consistent release schedule and an emotional ending on the channel that started it all was poetic. It was a good move when you aren’t trying to get renewed.

We also had a Season 3 poster that either indicated the show was expanding into spin-offs with many Disney Afternooniverse characters returning to their own shows after being introduced on DuckTales, or the show runners were trying to fit everyone from their wish list in one final season. While I still believe spin-offs are possible, looking back at this season it is clear that DT17 crammed many characters into season 3’s stories. I would say they were pretty successful. Some felt more like Easter eggs (Goofy), but others were given such prominence that those episodes stand out in season 3 with excellent characters and storylines that feel like they could be expanded on (Darkwing Duck). I think it is clear that season 3 was desperate to fit all of these characters in before the end.

This season we have also seen many, talented crew members go on to work on new projects. Many of these moves will benefit other great shows that we can all support. As we hear about these projects in the coming days we will be sure to share them with our readers and listeners.

Finally, season 3 has felt like the stakes were high from the very beginning. Season 2 ended with a heavy revelation that Scrooge’s most capable adversary was one he didn’t even know existed anymore. I feel that this has been discussed throughout season 3 among the DuckFans. Where would the show go after this!? I mean, I fell into the trap of believing this expanding universe was too big and demanded more stories, but in reality how many more stories does the crew have for the Ducks. Not Drake, Fenton, or Boyd, but Scrooge, Donald, Louie, and even Della. The big stories have been told, and although we have speculated at directions the show could go… really what we’ve been expecting is stories about more characters. Which could be accomplished by spin-offs. Between season 1’s reconciliation, season 2’s story of restoration, and now season 3’s emphasis on legacy a large 75 episode arc has taken place.

We believe DuckTales has NOT been cancelled. The show went into season 3 knowing it was the end. They planned a large arc for this family, and we are coming down to the end. We only have a few episodes left to introduce a few more characters and concepts before wrapping up this seasons confrontation with F.O.W.L. I expect the show to end in a satisfying way. We now have many DuckTales 2017 episodes to enjoy for years to come. The show has inspired creativity and comradery among the fandom. We hate to see it end, but knowing that it is ending does allow us to prepare for the end. I’m sure DuckFans will come up with great send offs for the show and crew. Oh, and you know that we are going to have an exciting ending in the series finale.

Again, I wish we had an official announcement or a tweet from someone on the show… really anything but the comments made, but that’s the internet for you. Someone is always hoping to place themselves in the narrative. But I’m not sure that any announcement would have been well received. And animated shows don’t always announce the end. They don’t want the target audience to decide the show is no longer relevant and stop watching. I suspect we get a promo for the last few episodes or finale that will declare it the series end.

I hope we can all comfort one another and enjoy the last few months of DuckTales (we are on hiatus after all). We still have one more build up to new episodes. We only have one episode description for the next 5-6 episodes! We have new characters still to come, and SO MANY storylines to wrap up. Let’s make the most of the next few months. We’ve enjoyed sharing in our fandoms together, and we look forward to what is next.