Ryan Murphy had a superior 2022 on Netflix. He had simultaneous top-streaming shows in Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and The Watcher, both of which were somehow renewed, despite the second story certainly being envisioned as a limited series.
Regarding the first show, an anthologized format will next transform the season into Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story. As for The Watcher, the subject matter of the continuation isn’t as obvious from the title. Will there be a New Watcher, or will the Old Watcher still be The Watcher, or will there be Copycat Watchers (like Scream 2)? Heck, maybe everyone will be The Watcher, similar to the ending of John Wick 2, in which Mr. Excommunicado needed to run, fast. Let’s parcel out any clues about the second season so far:
Plot
The first season of The Watcher, although being ultimately very watchable, infuriated some viewers, given that the show — as with the reality-based case — did not explicitly identify who was terrorizing the Brannocks (based upon the Broaddus family) with sinister letters. The show did, however, show Bobby Cannavale’s character start to lose his mind, and then Naomi Watts’ character grew faux-menacing by fake-claiming to be “Watching” the incoming occupant of the home. That was part of the fictionalized ending, which differed from IRL, wherein the Broadduses departed their “dream home,” never to be Watcher-ed again.
Murphy’s twist on the story saw Jennifer Coolidge’s realtor swoop in and purchase the palatial estate for herself. She swiftly finds herself terrorized with her poor dog paying the ultimate price. This, presumably, rules out the possibility that she engineered the entire mess as The Watcher. Additionally, it also paves the way for her life inside the home to be the focus of a second season. Will that happen, or could the show further fictionalize the plight of the Brannocks by having them stalked in their future home, too?
On the possibility of the second scenario, Naomi Watts stayed mum while speaking to Entertainment Weekly:
“I know they said yes to the next series, but I haven’t heard anything more,” Watts says in an interview for her latest project, a leading role in the new season of FX’s Feud anthology series … To be honest, we left the house, so I don’t know if we’ll be coming back,” she says. “I don’t know what the plan is there, so I can’t give you a straight answer, I’m afraid.”
Cast
Since Naomi Watts hasn’t revealed whether she will be back, there’s no way to predict whether the Brannock family will be at the center of another terror, so we cannot predict who will star in the second season. It does, however, seem likely that Jennifer Coolidge’s realtor could crossover into another season and be the connecting thread, like she was in The White Lotus. However, her character might not make it out of that second season alive here, either. (Are the Evil Gays the collective Watcher?)
Release Date
Ryan Murphy has his hands in several other different projects, but that’s also business as usual for him. If his usual workaholic ways have their way, The Watcher could return in late 2024 or early 2025.
Trailer
No trailer yet, fellow Watchers. Still, here’s a reminder that a dumbwaiter in a house can harbor surprises.
