After The Perfect Couple’s release on Netflix, the talks of a second season could be a concerning sign of a continued Nicole Kidman trend. The series stars Kidman as Greer Winbury, a wealthy author whose family gets wrapped up in a murder case when the maid of honor for her son’s wedding is found dead on the Nantucket beach. The Perfect Couple is a six-episode limited series based on the book by Elin Hilderbrand. The book itself does not have a sequel, but rather resolves its mystery in a standalone novel.

Though The Perfect Couple’s reviews are mixed, the series has had good viewership on Netflix, which understandably could push the streamer to want to make another season. Showrunner Jenna Lamia noted that The Perfect Couple season 2 would be possible should “all the elements [come] together and everybody was enthusiastic.” While those who enjoyed the intrigue of the Winbury family in The Perfect Couple might be excited by this possibility, making The Perfect Couple season 2 could follow a highly risky Kidman show trend.

The Perfect Couple Season 2 Would Be The 3rd Time A Nicole Kidman Thriller Went Past The Books

Big Little Lies And Nine Perfect Strangers Also Extend Beyond The Books

If The Perfect Couple season 2 were made, it would be the third time that a mystery thriller novel adaptation starring Kidman went past its source material. This happened first with Big Little Lies, which is based on the 2014 Liane Moriarty novel of the same name. Big Little Lies season 1 was critically acclaimed, earning multiple Emmy nominations. This cued HBO to make a second season of Big Little Lies, even though there was no longer book material to work off of. Now, Big Little Lies season 3 is even in the works, and is slated for release next year.

Another Kidman show is also about to continue this trend: Nine Perfect Strangers. Like Big Little Lies, the 2021 series is also based on a Moriarty novel. Nine Perfect Strangers season 1 ends where the book does, tying up the story. Despite this closure, however, Nine Perfect Strangers was renewed for season 2, so it will have to work with material beyond the books.

Continuing The Perfect Couple’s Story Without The Source Material Is A Big Risk

The Perfect Couple Ended Its Main Story

Because of the history with Kidman’s Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, The Perfect Couple season 2 would follow this trend by being her third mystery thriller to do so. If they do follow through with it, this would be a huge risk. On the one hand, showrunner Lamia is right in saying that “there are definitely questions left at the end.” This open-endedness would allow a second effort to explore more about Greer’s past, or other dynamics within the Winbury family that season 1 did not have time for.

That said, it would be a huge risk to continue The Perfect Couple without the source material. Even though the Netflix series differed from The Perfect Couple book in some major ways, it still worked off of the characters that Hilderbrand created, and followed suit with the overall story arc. The fact that said arc is a self-contained, resolved mystery, would also make things difficult in that The Perfect Couple season 2 would likely have to manufacture another mystery.

Nicole Kidman’s Thrillers Don’t Need More Seasons (But It Makes Sense Why They Happen)

Big Little Lies Was Critically Acclaimed

Reflecting on the viability of The Perfect Couple, one reality becomes even more clear: Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers did not need second seasons. While the first seasons were successful, both of these also covered self-contained plots that do not require a next season. Exploiting the content can risk going off in directions that the original author did not intend, which could diminish the perception of the adaptation.

That said, it makes sense why these producers are apt to expand these Kidman series. For one, they are getting high viewership numbers, and The Perfect Couple. Secondly, Big Little Lies season 2 shows that under the right leadership, departing from the books can still go well. Though not as highly rated as the universally beloved first season, Big Little Lies season 2 was well-reviewed, holding a Certified Fresh 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Thus, Big Little Lies was successful in going of of Moriarty’s writing, likely encouraging for the creators of Nine Perfect Strangers.

There is also a growing tendency to want to expand projects that were originally intended to be miniseries. Such is the case with Mare of Easttown, an award-winning HBO crime series starring Kate Winslet. As in the case with Big Little Lies, this show was originally intended to be a miniseries. Now, there are talks of expanding Mare of Easttown to season 2. While no development has been officially confirmed, the fact that Mare of Easttown season 2 is even in talks is indicative of this growing trend.

The Perfect Couple Season 2 Should Only Happen Under 1 Condition

The Author Should Be Involved

In many ways, The Perfect Couple season 2 would be even more risky than some of these other shows. Unlike Mare of Easttown or Big Little Lies, The Perfect Couple season 1 has mixed reviews from both critics and audiences. This means that the vision of those who adapted the book is not entirely celebrated. This makes it harder to trust that The Perfect Couple season 2 could be effective in jumping off from the books.

All six episodes of
The Perfect Couple
are available to watch on Netflix.

One way to mitigate this issue is by involving the author directly in the development of The Perfect Couple season 2. While The Perfect Couple itself is a standalone novel, Hilderbrand has experience writing sequels to her other books. Perhaps this would mean the author would find a faithful way to continue the story past its miniseries format. Without Hilderbrand, The Perfect Couple could risk making its already mixed reviews even worse. But with the author’s help, The Perfect Couple season 2 could help resolve key elements of the first season while also providing an interesting expansion to its world.