‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ Season 2 Scores Near-Perfect 96% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes – But Viewership Woes Loom

Netflix’s YA mystery series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has returned for its second season to thunderous acclaim from both critics and audiences, boasting a stunning 96% Rotten Tomatoes audience score. But behind the glowing reviews, a troubling signal has emerged: the show is languishing near the bottom of Netflix’s Top 10 chart, raising questions about its long-term viability. As fans rally around Emma Myers’ turn as amateur sleuth Pip Fitz-Amobi, the streaming giant may be facing a classic case of critical darling versus commercial underperformance.

The Return of a Beloved Series

Based on Holly Jackson’s best-selling YA book series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows high schooler Pip as she unravels small-town mysteries. Season 2, titled Good Girl, Bad Blood, picks up as Pip awaits the trial from the first season’s case—only to be drawn into a new disappearance. The show’s sophomore outing dropped on Netflix on May 27, 2026, and immediately earned rave reviews.

The Rotten Tomatoes scores tell a story of dramatic improvement. Season 1 managed an 83% critic score and a middling 68% audience score. Season 2, by contrast, has rocketed to a 90% critic score and a phenomenal 96% audience score—a near-perfect seal of approval from viewers. This level of audience enthusiasm is rare for a teen mystery series, suggesting the show has not only found its stride but also deeply connected with its fanbase.

Emma Myers: A Rising Star on Netflix’s Roster

Much of the show’s appeal hinges on its lead, Emma Myers, who plays Pip with a mix of vulnerability and fierce determination. Myers is no stranger to Netflix’s magic touch. She stole scenes as Enid Sinclair in Wednesday (2022) before headlining A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. In between, she appeared in Wednesday season 2 in 2025 and the blockbuster A Minecraft Movie (2025), which grossed $960 million globally.

Myers is doing double duty for Netflix, toggling between two of its flagship YA properties. While her Wednesday co-star Jenna Ortega remains the franchise’s leading name, Myers has arguably scored bigger box-office success and now commands her own franchise. With Wednesday season 3 not expected until 2027, Myers’ starring role in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder positions her as a cornerstone of Netflix’s young-adult strategy.

A Stellar Reception—But a Troubling Viewership Picture

Despite the critical and audience love, the show’s viewership numbers paint a more complex picture. According to Netflix’s own Top 10 list, season 2 debuted at #9 on May 27 and, as of May 31, has not budged higher. This is a steep decline from season 1, which hit #1 in its first full week and remained in the Top 10 for weeks.

The lack of upward momentum is perplexing. The gap between seasons was roughly two years—not extreme by Netflix standards. The competition on the platform at the time of release was not unusually fierce. Yet something is failing to drive new viewers to the series. Analysts speculate that the show’s YA label may limit its broader appeal, or that the first season failed to build a loyal enough audience to sustain word-of-mouth growth.

What This Means for the Show’s Future

Netflix has not yet greenlit a third season. While the platform sometimes orders multiple seasons at once, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder did not receive such a vote of confidence after season 1. The show has several factors in its favor:

• Low production costs relative to sci-fi or fantasy series, making it easier to justify renewal.
• Two more books in the series to adapt (As Good as Dead and Kill Joy), providing built-in source material.
• A dedicated fanbase that has rallied around the show’s improved quality, as evidenced by the 96% audience score.

However, the viewership stagnation cannot be ignored. If the show fails to climb the Top 10 in its critical second week, Netflix may view it as a niche success rather than a broad hit. The company’s renewal decisions increasingly hinge on completion rates and hours viewed in the first 28 days, rather than critical scores alone.

The Bigger Picture: Netflix’s YA Mystery Landscape

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder arrives at a time when Netflix is doubling down on YA content after the success of Wednesday and The Night Agent. The streamer has also invested heavily in book-to-screen adaptations, from The Summer I Turned Pretty to Heartstopper. Yet not every series can replicate the cultural penetration of those hits.

This show’s predicament echoes that of other critically adored but under-watched Netflix originals, such as Teenage Bounty Hunters or I Am Not Okay With This, both of which were canceled after one season despite strong reviews. The difference here is that A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has already proven it can draw a crowd in season 1—season 2’s drop-off suggests that retention, not acquisition, is the issue.

Marketing may also play a role. Season 2 launched with less fanfare than season 1, and the absence of a major star like Jenna Ortega (who did not appear in this series) could have dampened cross-promotional momentum. Netflix’s algorithm-driven recommendations may not be pushing the show aggressively enough to overcome the initial slowdown.

Will Pip Solve Her Biggest Mystery Yet?

For fans, the high audience score is vindication. The show has matured, the performances have sharpened, and the storytelling feels tighter. Emma Myers continues to prove she can anchor a franchise. But the business of streaming is unforgiving. If A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder cannot convert its quality into viewership, it may join the ranks of beloved properties that never got to finish their stories.

As the series sits at #9 on Netflix’s Top 10, the coming days will be critical. Will word-of-mouth from the stellar Rotten Tomatoes score push it into the top 5? Or will it fade into the depths of the catalog, remembered only by the devotees who discovered a near-perfect season? For now, the good-girl-turned-detective has solved every mystery handed to her—except how to get people to press play.

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