Horror filmmaker extraordinaire Jason Blum, whose Blumhouse Productions has spawned the likes of Paranormal Activity and Get Out, is also responsible for the seemingly unending The Purge franchise. Its most recent (and constant) iteration, however, is the television series on the USA Network, the second season of which is airing its final episode next week. Since 2013, this particular Blum creation has spawned four movies and the show, as well as a fifth and “final” film slated for 2020. And much like Marvel’s MCU and similar cinematic universes, it’s all connected.
Look no further than the aforementioned second season finale of USA’s The Purge, which premieres Tuesday, December 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Why? Because Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke, who played James Sandin in the original 2013 film, is set to return to this particular Blumhouse universe for the episode’s cold open. According to a press release, Hawke’s character will appear in a flashback set one week before the first national purge and the first official test of his company’s high-tech security system.
As for how this flashback at the beginning of “7:01 AM” will relate to the interconnected stories of Esme, Ryan, Marcus, and Ben as they battle to survive the purge’s final moment, viewers will just have to tune in next week. Besides, avid The Purge fans will want to check out Hawke’s return regardless, as Sandin died from wounds suffered during the home invasion depicted in the 2013 movie.
