P-Valley Season 2 - What We Know So Far
"P-Valley" arrived not quite out of nowhere in the summer of 2020 to become one of the year's best and most critically acclaimed shows. Created by Katori Hall, the Starz series is based on Hall's play "Pussy Valley" and is set at The Pynk, a troubled strip club deep in the Mississippi Delta that is run by the gender-fluid Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan). The show's excellent first season follows the goings-on of the club and its employees, including its star dancer (Brandee Evans) who's ready to hang up her heels and open her own dance studio. The season culminates with a storyline in which Uncle Clifford falls behind on payments and nearly loses the club as greedy developers move in, and gentrification threatens to take over the area.
But what makes "P-Valley" really stand out from the rest of the Starz lineup, or the general glut of television being thrust in front of viewers' eyeballs, is the way it puts those who are often overlooked by society at the center of its incredible story, and reveals how they support themselves and their communities. As TV Guide put it in its review, "'P-Valley' elevates the stories of people often deemed unworthy — poor Black people, country folk, non-binary individuals, and of course strippers — to show their full humanity, resilience, and tenderness."
As we eagerly wait for the show's second season, we've begun gathering information about what viewers can expect when the series returns. Here's everything we know so far about "P-Valley" Season 2.
Updated February 23, 2022: This article has been updated with new information.
What is the release date for P-Valley Season 2?
The eight-episode first season of "P-Valley" debuted on Starz in July 2020 and the show was quickly renewed for a 10-episode second season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Katori [Hall] has delivered a provocative drama that looks beyond the glitz and into the hearts and minds of these fully realized and compelling characters, exploring them through a female gaze that invites the audience to take a walk in their stilettos," said Christina Davis, president of original programming for Starz, at the time. "We know Katori has a lot of incredible stories to tell and a lot in store for these women in a second season."
Unfortunately, while the show's renewal was quick to be handed out, we still don't know when "P-Valley" Season 2 will make its debut. During a Twitter Q&A in September 2020, Hall revealed that the pandemic was affecting the creative team's ability to work on the series. "With COVID-19 still making it hard to shoot, it will take awhile to gear up for production," she wrote, promising to keep fans informed of any updates.
In February of this year, Starz released a special behind-the-scenes set video from the show's second season. Unfortunately, Hall refrained from announcing a specific premiere date for "P-Valley" Season 2 in the video. The season is expected to premiere sometime this year (via The Playlist) and Commercial Appeal has reported that the show will return on September 4. For now, however, fans will have to continue waiting for an official announcement from Starz.
Who is in the cast of P-Valley Season 2?
While fans still don't know when "P-Valley" Season 2 will premiere, they do know who they can expect to see when the show returns. Indeed, Starz confirmed in February which of the show's cast members are coming back for its sophomore run, with Nicco Annan, Brandee Evans, Elarica Johnson, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Shannon Thornton, Harriett D. Foy, Dan J. Johnson, Parker Sawyers, and Tyler Lepley all returning to reprise their Season 1 roles. Morocco Omari, Dominic Devore, and Jordan M. Cox are all set to return as well and have even been upped to series regulars for the show's second season.
"P-Valley" Season 2 will also bring a few new faces into the mix. Psalms Salazar is set to appear in the new season as Whisper, a dancer described as being an "enigmatic free spirit with a spooky streak" (via Deadline). In addition to Salazar, Gail Bean will also star in "P-Valley" Season 2 as Roulette, another new dancer who is a "feisty wild child" that doesn't shy away from "taking major risks and breaking allllll of Uncle Clifford's rules."
Fans of "P-Valley" can look forward to seeing how the show's new and existing characters all deal with the fallout of its first season whenever the series makes its long-awaited return on Starz.
What is the plot of P-Valley Season 2?
The first season of "P-Valley" concluded with Hailey (Elarica Johnson) using the money she stole from her abusive ex-boyfriend Montavius (Cranston Johnson) to save The Pynk from being purchased by the casino developers who were after the desirable waterfront property. While we still don't have a trailer for "P-Valley" Season 2, Katori Hall spoke with Entertainment Weekly in September 2020 about the show's Season 1 finale and dropped a few hints about what's to come when "P-Valley" returns, including how Hailey becoming part-owner of the club will change things drastically.
"She came in getting her a– smacked on the dance floor and now, she has some ownership in the club. The power dynamics at the club have completely changed," Hall said. "To see Uncle Clifford and Hailey fight over the throne will be stuff of legends."
In February, Hall also confirmed that "P-Valley" Season 2 will begin five months after the events of the show's Season 1 finale (via Starz). Additionally, Hall revealed that the show's second season will incorporate the real-life COVID-19 pandemic into its storyline. In specific, Hall teased that the season will explore how the pandemic affects the business dealings and occupations of the show's central characters.
"Unfortunately, the pandemic has really came and turned everything topsy turvy just because, you know, it is a business based on gathering. It's a business based on intimacy," Hall said. "It's gonna be very interesting to see how Uncle Clifford and new boss b**** Autumn Night deal with this huge obstacle that's been put in their way. So between the casino and COVID-19, they got a lot of s*** to deal with."
In other words, it sounds like "P-Valley" fans have a lot to look forward to in the show's second season, and we can't wait to see how everything plays out.