Amazon’s Panic Season 2: What To Expect

Panic is the latest entry in the teen drama subgenre, and here’s everything to know about the show’s renewal status, release date, cast expectations, and story details. Author Lauren Oliver created the Amazon Prime series, which is based on her 2014 YA novel. At the helm of the adaptation, Oliver has taken liberties with the plot in the hopes it creates the potential for bigger storylines spanning multiple seasons.

Panic season 1 follows a group of graduating seniors in the small town of Carp, Texas gearing up for an annual game of “Panic,” which tests players’ greatest fears by putting them through dangerous challenges. At the center of this year’s game is Heather Nill (Olivia Welch), who unexpectedly enters the game in a last-ditch effort to get money to leave town. While Heather makes it close to the end of the game, she and others involved begin uncovering the dark truth about who controls the game: Carp’s own sheriff, James Cortez (Enrique Murciano).

Though many of Panic season 1’s questions were answered, there are still lingering mysteries surrounding the series. A second season is never guaranteed, but another chapter would be beneficial for those who hung in for the entire 10-episode season. Here’s what to expect if Amazon greenlights Panic season 2.

Panic Season 2 Renewal

At the time of writing, Panic hasn’t been renewed for season 2. Amazon will likely take some time to analyze the viewership and overall interest in the series before deciding on its future. That said, the fact that Panic is based on a popular novel could help in the show’s favor. The story already had a fair amount of established fans, and the fandom likely grew after the show dropped on Amazon Prime. Expect a decision on a second season before the end of the summer.

Panic Season 2 Release Date Info

Without a renewal status, it’s difficult to predict a release date for Panic season 2. The pilot was filmed in 2018 before the rest of season 1 was shot in the fall of 2019. Even though production wrapped up before the coronavirus pandemic halted the entertainment industry, it’s likely post-production took longer than expected. Rather than rushing for a 2020 release, Panic was held for 2021. Even if the show were renewed shortly after season 1 hit the streamer, production likely wouldn’t be ready until late 2021 or early 2022. With that timetable, a season 2 release would make sense for the winter 2022-23 season.

Panic Season 2 Cast

Based on how Panic‘s debut season ended, a second installment would be expected to feature the return of major cast members. The next chapter will need to focus on what happened to Olivia Welch’s Heather Nill after coming out on top after her stint with Panic. Her best friends, Natalie (Jessica Sula) and Bishop (Camron Jones), will surely be pertinent to the story if it continues, and the same goes for Ray (Ray Nicholson). Other season 1 characters expected to return for a potential follow-up season include Dodge (Mike Faist), Heather’s mom and sister, Sherri (Rachel Bay Jones) and Lily (Kariana Karhu), and Diggins (David W. Thompson). Though Enrique Murciano can’t return as a major character in his role as Sheriff Cortez, he could appear in flashbacks.

Panic Season 2 Story Details

Oliver’s novel never got a sequel, but Oliver hopes it’s a different case with her book-to-screen TV adaptation. According to the author (via Variety), she purposely changed certain aspects of the original story to create more elements to explore, which will hopefully carry out over multiple seasons. Sheriff Cortez was revealed to be manipulating the game for his own gain until he was killed by his own wife after crashing in the Joust challenge. Heather received the winnings, and season 2 can fully explain what she did with the money. In Panic season 1’s final scene, a stranger hanging from the back of the truck threw a scarecrow with Panic markings on the window of Heather’s car. This was a sign that the game is not over despite Sheriff Cortez no longer in the picture. Even though some got out of town, they will always have a connection to the dreadful tradition until it’s stopped for good.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1745 Articles Published)

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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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