Will we get to see more from Sarah Paulson’s Nurse Ratched?
Ryan Murphy’s first season of Ratched might have landed on Netflix way back in 2020, but fan curiosity still abounds about whether a second season could be coming our way.
The Netflix series, which came to our screens courtesy of Ryan Murphy, served as a prequel to the film One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, giving viewers an insight into just how the villainous Nurse Mildred Ratched (Paulson) turned out to be so evil.
It shot to the number one spot in Netflix‘s top ten on the weekend of its release, as fans binged their way through the dark psychological thriller.
Season one built to a dramatic close, ending on a dramatic cliffhanger as Sarah Paulson’s scheming nurse was put in a difficult spot, as the life she’d worked so hard to build was put in peril by a former friend turned mortal enemy.
So, will fans be getting any answers in a second season of Ratched? Here’s everything we know so far about a potential season of Ratched on Netflix.
Will there be a Ratched season 2 on Netflix?
Netflix had so much faith in Ryan Murphy and Evan Romansky’s new series that they ordered two seasons at once back in September 2017.
At the time, Deadline reported that Netflix commissioned 18 episodes of Ratched in total, which implied that season two could potentially be a longer 10-episode run.
However, it appears that the streamer has reversed its decision, as Paulson recently confirmed that the thriller won’t be returning for season 2.
In a video taken by a fan back in February and posted on Twitter, which was recently re-branded as X, Paulson is seen outside the Second Stage Theatre in New York, where the star was performing in stage play Appropriate
“Will we get season two of Ratched?” a fan asked the star, to which she responded: “No. No.”
Sarah Paulson confirmed that “Ratched” will not be returning for a second season. pic.twitter.com/ig88tgKwcM
— The AHS Zone (@ahszone) February 4, 2024
Although Netflix is yet to make an official announcement regarding the series, the fact that no news has surfaced in years indicates that Paulson told the truth.
What could happen in a potential Ratched season 2?
The season one finale to Ratched set up an epic confrontation in season two, as Mildred’s unhinged foster brother Edmund plans to destroy her luxurious life in Mexico.
However, she makes it quite clear to him in an intense phone conversation that she won’t go down without a fight, declaring her intention to take him down once and for all.
Season two could revolve around their deadly game of cat and mouse, as well as how it affects the people in their lives including Cynthia Nixon’s Gwendolyn Briggs.
Could Ratched season 2 link with One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest?
It’s unlikely that a second season would link directly to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
Paulson told The Hollywood Reporter in October 2019: “Ideally, by the time we’re in season four, we’re in that story of the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
Who could appear in the cast of a potential Ratched season 2?
If a second season were to materialise, it’s highly likely that the key surviving players from the first would return.
This would mean more of Sarah Paulson in the title role and Finn Wittrock as serial killer Edmund Tolleson, as well as his accomplices played by Sophie Okonedo and Amanda Plummer.
Ratched’s treasured girlfriend Gwendolyn Briggs, portrayed by Cynthia Nixon, would also be likely to reprise her role, along with Judy Davis as Nurse Betsy Bucket.
It’s unclear whether the story of Vincent D’Onofrio’s bigoted governor would continue in season two, given that the fate of his election campaign is yet to be revealed.
Meanwhile, it’s possible that Lenore’s dangerous son Henry, played by 13 Reasons Why star Brandon Flynn, could return as a patient in Ratched or Bucket’s psychiatric institution.
Ratched is available to stream on Netflix. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.