The Jinx Season 2 Director, Episodes, And More Details
"The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" premiered in 2015, and remains one of the best true-crime documentaries streaming. The six-part HBO series looks into the life and times of real estate heir Robert Durst, who at the time had been connected to multiple murders, yet managed to avoid prison. Writer-producer-director Andrew Jarecki uses a style that makes the true-crime documentary just as complex as its subject, and critics and audiences have praised the result.
However, arguably the most memorable thing about "The Jinx" is its mind-bending ending, in which a hot microphone catches Durst admitting the murders to himself during a bathroom break. "What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course," Durst says to himself in one of the most chilling endings to a crime documentary.
That, if anything, seems like a conclusive ending to the story ... but of course, life goes on even after pivotal moments like this. As it turns out, there's more to the Durst story, so much so that "The Jinx" Season 2 is on the way. Will the new season fail to match the first one, or cement "The Jinx's" place as one of the best documentaries of all time? Here's what we know about the acclaimed documentary series' sophomore season.
When will The Jinx Season 2 be released?
At this point, the exact release date of "The Jinx" Season 2 is unclear. All that has been announced so far is that the documentary, which is officially called "The Jinx — Part Two," will premiere on HBO and Max at some point in 2024.
Looking into the debut season, there is some reason to suspect that the show will return sooner rather than later. "The Jinx" premiered on February 15, 2015, and the last episode of Season 1 — the appropriately named "What the Hell Did I Do?" — aired on March 15. Considering that Season 1 was a pretty big hit and Season 2 will also consist of six episodes, it wouldn't be all that shocking if HBO wanted to release the new episodes over a tried-and-tested time frame.
Of course, until an official release date is announced, it remains to be seen whether "The Jinx" Season 2 will follow a similar release schedule as Season 1 or if the new episodes will air considerably later in 2024.
What is the plot of The Jinx Season 2?
"The Jinx — Part Two" continues digging into the Robert Durst case with new material that the makers have continued to unfold since 2015. Of course, the story of the documentary's subject has been highly publicized since "The Jinx" Season 1 – Durst was arrested after the documentary and convicted of the murder of Susan Berman one year before he died in 2022 (via The New York Times). However, with years of developments that have happened since Season 1 — not to mention the various unsolved mysteries in Durst's history — "The Jinx" Season 2 should have no shortage of material.
An interesting thing to keep an eye on is whether director-producer Andrew Jarecki was able to maintain contact with Durst. The rapport between the two is a considerable part of "The Jinx" Season 1, and the new season will feature new interviews and phone calls. But are they between Durst and Jarecki? Durst understandably came to regret his decision to appear in the documentary, and the way "The Jinx" ended was something of a shock to Jarecki, as well. "I didn't think that Bob was innocent, but I didn't know that he was guilty," the documentarist told Entertainment Weekly in the wake of "The Jinx" Season 1. "[Once] I knew he was guilty, I had to recognize that this person who, in some ways, was my friend, at some level still is ... The big personality shift was suddenly I realized that I was dealing with a murderer."
Jarecki himself is a big part of Season 1, so it will be interesting to see how the dynamic between him and Durst changed in the wake of the Season 1 finale ... or, for that matter, if they stayed in touch at all.
Who is starring in The Jinx Season 2?
"The Jinx" Season 1 uses a combination of archival footage, interviews, and re-enactments to tell the story. In one way or another, it seems pretty clear that all the main players from the first season — Robert Durst, Andrew Jarecki, and various people connected to the cases — will appear in Season 2 as well.
The first season re-enacted scenarios from Durst's life with actors. Among them were Gary Napoli (who played Durst), J. Patrick Burns (as John Lewin), Debra Kay Anderson (as Susan Berman), Chelsea Gonzalez (as Kathie Durst), and Michael Simon Hall (as Seymour Durst). It's currently unknown whether any of them will return for "The Jinx — Part Two," but if the show continues to keep re-enactments as part of its storytelling arsenal, this seems like a possibility. Apart from the people fans of "The Jinx" are already familiar with, Season 2 will also likely introduce a host of new faces who have worked on the Durst case or otherwise become connected to it since the documentary's first season.
Who is directing and producing The Jinx Season 2?
"The Jinx — Part Two" will mark the return of Andrew Jarecki, who continues his string of Robert Durst-adjacent projects as the season's director and executive producer. Before "The Jinx," he directed and produced "All Good Things," the Ryan Gosling movie inspired by the Durst case, which the real man was a big fan of. In fact, Durst even recorded its DVD commentary, which is peppered with eerie lines.
Jarecki's director-producer credits also include the Academy Award-nominated crime documentary "Capturing the Friedmans." In addition, he produced 2010's "Catfish," and his other executive producer credits include "Catfish: the TV Show" and the clock-maker documentary "Keeper of Time."
Apart from Jarecki, the executive producers of "The Jinx — Part Two" are Kyle Martin, Zac Stuart-Pontier, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez. The season's producers are Richard Hankin, Susan Lazarus, Charlotte Kaufman, and Sam Neave.
Is there a trailer for The Jinx Season 2?
There is currently no trailer for "The Jinx" Season 2, but whenever it drops, it'll be a must-watch for all true crime fans — at least, if the trailer for Season 1 is any indication. In less than 90 seconds, the Season 1 trailer manages to demonstrate the multiple techniques "The Jinx" uses to tell the story and establish the murder mystery as one for the ages. It marches out multiple people with conflicting views of Durst's guilt and finally reveals that this documentary is the first time the man himself tells his version of the story. Most importantly, however, the Season 1 trailer doesn't spoil a single thing about the intense moments and massive revelations that the series has in spades.
Going by this, expect the eventual Season 2 trailer to offer a glimpse at things to come, but not much else ... apart from, perhaps, a confirmation of the premiere date. Still, even a small peek into the new season should offer important information about where things are headed. After all, the confession ending of "The Jinx" Season 1 is so powerful that it may be hard to picture how things can proceed from there — even for those keeping tabs on Durst news.
What will The Jinx Season 2 be rated?
"The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" might be a documentary, but it's still a true crime project about things like murder and dismemberment. As such, it features a certain amount of blood and gore, and of course, the crimes are discussed in great detail. Because of this, "The Jinx" Season 1 is rated TV-14, which means it contains potentially disturbing material and isn't recommended for viewers under 14.
"The Jinx" Season 2 covers the same subject matter as the initial season, so unless something completely game-changing comes up, the series will likely retain the TV-14 rating. Since the sophomore season will quite possibly devote much of its attention to Durst's life after he was arrested, it's possible that if anything, things will be a bit more muted. Then again, would there even be a "The Jinx" Season 2 if the makers didn't have a twist that can match or even surpass the Season 1 ending up their sleeve?