Clickbait Season 2 - What We Know So Far
"Clickbait" is the latest thriller show people are binging on Netflix because the twists are so twisty you have to know what happens next.
The limited series stars Adrian Grenier (forever recognizable as Vinny Chase from "Entourage") as Nick Brewer, a seemingly normal and decent family man who suddenly appears, bloodied and beaten down, in an online video holding two signs. One says "I abuse women" and the other says "5 million views I die" – as in whoever is making the video will murder him. Naturally, the video goes viral, and Nick's sister, Pia (Zoe Kazan), and wife, Sophie (Betty Gabriel), rush to find him before he's executed. The police investigation is complicated by legions of amateur message board sleuths who have turned Nick's disappearance into a crowdsourced puzzle to solve.
Things are never what they seem, of course, and all kinds of crazy stuff gets revealed as the series progresses. "Clickbait" is currently burning up the Netflix Top 10 chart. Even though it's billed as a limited series, it seems like the kind of show that will come back for a second season if it's successful enough. Here's what we know so far about a potential "Clickbait" Season 2.
When would Clickbait Season 2 release?
If there were to be a Season 2 of "Clickbait," it could conceivably release on Netflix in 2022. According to TV Tonight, Season 1 entered production in December 2019 in Australia but had to shut down due to the pandemic. It didn't resume until November 2020. The show was, of course, released in August 2021.
To be clear, this is all speculation, as there's no word one way or another yet as to whether Netflix will renew the show for Season 2. Season 1 has a very definitive ending, so a second season wouldn't need to tie anything up from Season 1. It would likely be an entirely new story.
Other twisty Netflix thriller limited series of this type include "Behind Her Eyes" and "The Stranger," neither of which have been renewed for more seasons despite their popularity. "Clickbait" is a little different from those shows in that it's not based on a novel, so it would be easier to bring it back for Season 2 since it's not restricted by source material.
Whether "Clickbait" is renewed really depends on how well it performs with Netflix subscribers versus how much it costs to produce, and it's too early to make that call. So, we'll just have to wait and see.
Who would make up the cast of Clickbait Season 2?
If "Clickbait" continued, it could go the route of "The Sinner" and follow the same detective as he investigates a different thematically connected crime every season. On "The Sinner," Detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) solves murders related to sin and redemption. On "Clickbait," Detective Roshan Amiri (Phoenix Raei) might investigate a different internet related crime in Oakland, California every season. In that case, the only actor who would need to return is Raei, and the show could build out its cast of victims, suspects, distraught family members, and internet vigilantes.
The three main roles in "Clickbait" Season 1 are played by an actor from an iconic show who hasn't done TV in a while (Adrian Grenier), an indie movie star taking on a different type of project than she usually appears in (Zoe Kazan), and a character actress who's good in everything and is most closely associated with horror movies (Betty Gabriel). It's an interesting combination of actors that would be fun to replicate in Season 2.
What kind of plot would Clickbait Season 2 have?
Presumably, further seasons of "Clickbait" would unravel different mysteries inspired by real crimes that started online. Creator Tony Ayres told Entertainment Weekly that the show is loosely based on a number of crimes that all have a common theme centered on what happens when "the virtual leaks into the actual and has a deep impact on human beings." Season 2 might explore a story about cyberbullying or a social media influencer who disappears, leading people to investigate her accounts for clues.
Ayres wants to come back for more and has some ideas for how to continue "Clickbait." "I really love this format and if people connect to it, I would love to do it again," he explained to Entertainment Weekly. "I think it works really well, especially for a more elevated crime. I like to satisfy the whodunnit quality, but still try to do a deep dive on character and then at the same time do a 360 around an event because everyone has slightly different [perspectives]. I've got ideas for a season 2 or 3."