Wait, The Watcher Is Returning For Season 2?! Everything We Know About The Spooky Renewal
The Watcher is still out there, but will they keep terrorizing the Brannock family?
The mystery of who the creeper on Netflix’s The Watcher is might get solved after all. Ryan Murphy’s suburban nightmare was intended to be a miniseries, but it became such a monster hit for the streamer that it scored a Season 2 renewal in November 2022. Since Season 1 ended with the Brannock family selling 657 Boulevard, it’s unclear whether the series will follow the same family or go the anthology route. Still, viewers can be sure Murphy has something suitably creepy in store for the second installment.
Both The Watcher and Murphy’s Monster franchise were renewed at the same time. Per Variety, Netflix’s announcement read, “Audiences can’t take their eyes off Monster and The Watcher. The creative team of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan on Monster, along with Eric Newman on The Watcher, are masterful storytellers who captivated audiences all over the world. The back-to-back force of these two series is due to Ryan’s distinct original voice, which created cultural sensations, and we are thrilled to continue telling stories in the Monster and Watcher universes.”
The last sentence in the announcement may offer a clue as to what’s next in Season 2. Murphy is famous for his anthology series, including popular shows like American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and Monster — and The Watcher could easily bring in a new family to be haunted by the titular neighbor from hell.
For now, read on for everything we know about The Watcher Season 2 so far.
Who will star in The Watcher Season 2?
At this stage, it's unclear whether the next season will pick up where the first left off or even focus on the same house. Season 1 was based in part on a 2018 article in New York Magazine, and it ended much in the same way the true story did: with the family leaving their dream home behind after it turned into a nightmare.
However, the cast was so good that it would be a shame for Season 2 not to include at least some of them. If the series does continue to follow the Brannocks and their former neighbors, then expect Naomi Watts (Nora), Bobby Cannavale (Dean), Isabel Gravitt (Ellie), Luke David Blumm (Carter), Margo Martindale (Maureen), Mia Farrow (Pearl), Richard Kind (Mitch), and Terry Kinney (Jasper) to return.
The biggest question mark among the original cast is Jennifer Coolidge, who played Karen. The real estate agent was last seen running for her life, but Coolidge believes Karen is still alive. "I mean, I'm wondering. I wonder if they will call Karen back. I would definitely go if they offer, if they ask me," Coolidge told Entertainment Weekly after the renewal news was announced. "I wanted to tell Ryan that Karen can run much faster. I hope she's back."
What will Season 2 be about?
At this stage, Newman and Murphy have yet to share any details about what’s next for the show. Since it was originally intended to be a miniseries, The Watcher could go in any number of directions. The series could have the strange messages and disturbances follow the Brannocks to their new home (introducing new neighbors in the process), delve further into the history of the house, or focus on a different true story of suburban creepiness.
Until more details are announced, anything is possible.
When will The Watcher Season 2 premiere?
If filming is underway, Murphy and Newman are keeping it very quiet. It seems more likely that the show’s writers are still working on the scripts, which means The Watcher might not return until late 2023 or early 2024 at the earliest.
At least that gives you plenty of time to rewatch Season 1 before Season 2 premieres!
