As good as HBO’s The Night Of was, and for those who’ve seen it, you’ll know it was pretty damn good, it did feel like it ended on a sound note. It was always billed as a miniseries, after all, and there were never any real plans to extend it past the initial run of episodes. Everything was tied up in the finale, for the most part, and fans seemed to be pleased with how things wrapped up.
That being said, given that The Night Of turned out to be pretty successful for all parties involved, talk has naturally turned to producing another season. When asked about the possibility of seeing more of the show, Casey Bloys, HBO’s president of programming, had this to say:
Yes, absolutely. The only issue with doing another season is for them to come up with an idea that excites them. Steve [Zaillian] and Richard [Price] are talking and sharing ideas. I think it’ll be a longer process, probably. Both of them take their time and will only do something they’re really passionate and excited about. They’re not going to do another season just to do another season.
Of course, the easiest route to go here would be to tell a completely new story should the show return. Naz’s tale, which could continue on in some ways, probably wouldn’t be as compelling if it featured again in season 2. Instead, the producers should choose to focus on a new cast of characters and give us something different. A lot of shows have seen success by going the anthology route and I think that The Night Of could benefit from that as well.
This is something which isn’t lost on Bloys either, as he said the following about what a second season could look like:
I don’t know. My guess is, it would be [one case in a season]. I think they’re talking about a lot of different variations, so at this point, all I know is that they’re talking about it. They haven’t come to us with anything. They’re just trying to get themselves excited about a take.
Finally, he also mentioned that even though Naz may not be around, other characters from season 1 could still appear again, like John Turturro’s John Stone, who fans would surely welcome back.
For now, it’s still very early days, and while HBO will more than likely continue The Night Of, it’s too soon to tell what exactly they’ll end up deciding on in regards to how season 2 should play out.