Will 'Maniac' Get A Second Season On Netflix?

26 September 2018, 16:26

Netflix Maniac
Picture: Netflix
Nicky Idika

By Nicky Idika

Netflix's 'Maniac' has sufficiently charmed audiences but what are the odds that the limited series could extend its 10-episode run and return for a second season?

The exact premise of Netflix's Maniac wasn't expressly laid out prior to the series' premiere, but fans seem to be enjoying the richly detailed and oftentimes strange realities depicted in the show. As is the case with most well-received Netflix releases, some fans are starting to wonder whether Maniac will return for a second season.

Netflix Maniac
Picture: Michele K. Short / Netflix

If the statements made by director Cary Fukunaga and showrunner Patrick Somerville are anything to go by, a second season of Maniac does not seem likely.

Shortly after the show's September 21 premiere, Fukunaga dashed any hopes that he was interested in working on another season by telling Business Insider that he'd love Maniac season 2 to happen, just not with him.

"I'd be very happy if another season were to happen, but I think they were just thinking about this as a limited season and if there's an appetite for another one then I think [show creator] Patrick [Somerville] would be happy to take it up and do it again. But not with me," he told the publication.

via GIPHY

In an interview with THR, Patrick Somerville opened up about whether season 2 conversations were taking place and, well, they're really not.

"No. This was always planned as a limited series, and I think that's another reason why we had the freedom to have a more hopeful ending. A lot of times on TV, you have to throw your characters into distress again near the end to buy the next season, and we don't have to do that."

So, will 'Maniac' be renewed for a second season?

Based on the statements of both Somerville and Fukunaga, it appears highly unlikely that Maniac will return for season 2. It sounds like the show was developed specifically to be a limited series.

With limited series, the pacing often feels different (which is why Maniac has a cinematic quality to it) and the stakes are different (which is why the ending didn't feel like it was a vehicle to get a second season).

It would appear that Netflix have a one-and-done on their hands. While Netflix do tend to give their shows multiple seasons, exploring more onscreen fictional storytelling opportunities with a one-and-done philosophy might be an interesting track for the platform.

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