Will there be a Manhunt Season 2?

Manhunt is a new historical drama about the search for Abraham Lincoln’s killer. Season 1 just concluded on Apple TV+, so here’s what we know about any potential Season 2.

Manhunt stars Tobias Menzies as Edwin Stanton, who was Abraham Lincoln’s friend, as well as his War Secretary. After Lincoln’s assassination, Stanton was charged with the task of finding and bringing his killer John Wilkes Booth to justice.

That story was told across seven episodes that whipped back and forth in time, depicting Lincoln’s final days before his death, as well as the efforts of the conspirators to stay hidden after the murder.

You can read our comprehensive ending explainer, while below there’s details of whether the finale sets up a second season, as well as what that might be about. Just beware of SPOILERS AHEAD…

Will there be a Manhunt Season 2?

There are currently no plans for a Season 2 of Manhunt. Season 1 tells a self-contained story, with John Wilkes Booth captured and killed at the end of Episode 5, and most of his co-conspirators hanged or jailed during Episode 7.

The series ties up multiple loose ends by putting the following words onscreen concerning Stanton, President Andrew Johnson, collaborators John Surratt Jr. and Dr. Samuel Mudd, and former slave Mary Simms:

“While Stanton held on to his position as War Secretary, Johnson was the first American President to be impeached. Johnson was not removed from office by one vote. But he lost a second term. John Surratt Jr. was extradited to the United States, but he was not convicted. He held rallies across America bragging about his association with Booth.

“Mary Simms was one of 10 black witnesses who bravely testified against Dr. Mudd. Her testimony was recorded in the trial transcript. Five months after the trial, the 13 Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the United States. Six months later the 14th Amendment passed, granting citizenship and equal protection to black Americans.”

The show ends with Stanton’s death, from asthma related to organ failure. But we learn that two months after his passing, the 15th Amendment – granting all US citizens the right to vote – also passed. Which was the last of Lincoln’s 3 Reconstruction Amendments, and very much brings this story to a close.

What could happen in a sequel series?

Any future Manhunt episodes could focus on a completely different chase.

This particular manhunt is over, with John Wilkes Booth dead and most of his collaborators punished. But there’s no reason why a sequel series couldn’t focus on different manhunts that happened after this story, depicting how police procedures change and become more sophisticated over time.

When asked about a potential future for the show, star Tobias Menzies told The Hollywood Reporter that he hadn’t been privy to any conversations, then added: “I feel good about the story that we’ve told. You’d have to be very clear about what the next story was that we were telling [if there were to be a second season].”

How to watch Manhunt

All seven episodes of Manhunt are currently available on Apple TV+.

If Manhunt isn’t enough on its own, find even more amazing movies, TV shows, true crime documentaries, and K-dramas to stream this month.

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