Apple TV has renewed Imperfect Women for a second season, with Kerry Washington returning to lead the show as Eleanor, according to Variety and Deadline. The new season drops the book-based storyline for an original idea built entirely around Washington’s character.
Imperfect Women debuted on Apple TV in March, based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name. The first season followed best friends Eleanor and Mary, played by Elisabeth Moss, as they investigated the murder of their friend Nancy, played by Kate Mara.
What happened: Imperfect Women season 2 gets the green light
Annie Weisman, who wrote and ran Season 1, returns as co-showrunner for Season 2 alongside Justin Hillian, according to Variety. Hillian previously served as co-showrunner on Showtime’s The Chi and has worked on FX’s Snowfall and Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here.
There is no second Imperfect Women novel, so Weisman and Hillian built Season 2 around an original story, Deadline reported. The official logline states that “Eleanor (Washington) returns to her hometown roots in the affluent black enclave of Martha’s Vineyard, only to find that beneath it’s idyllic surface, lie secrets and scandals that threaten to upend everything she thought she knew about her past.”
“We were thrilled to see how deeply these women and their stories resonated with audiences around the world, and I’m so excited to step back into Eleanor’s shoes,” Washington said, according to Variety. “She’s intelligent and strong, but she also finds herself navigating complicated and sometimes messy situations. We at Simpson Street along with our incredible partners at Apple and Love & Squalor Pictures can’t wait to explore a fresh chapter for her and share where this story takes us next.”
Matt Cherniss, Apple TV’s head of programming, said the network wanted to build on Eleanor’s popularity with viewers. “After a wildly entertaining first season, driven by the performances of Kerry, Lizzie and Kate, we jumped at the opportunity to expand the world of ‘Imperfect Women’ through Kerry’s fan favorite character of Eleanor,” Cherniss said, per Variety. “Annie and Justin’s thrilling new story felt like an exciting and natural next chapter. We can’t wait for fans to experience it.”
What it means for fans: a new setting and a narrower cast
Season 2 moves the action away from Los Angeles, where Season 1 took place, and into Martha’s Vineyard, per Deadline. The new season also picks up on a flash-forward from the Season 1 finale that showed Eleanor leaving behind a toxic relationship dynamic and starting a new life on a yacht with a new love interest, a scene Deadline noted resonated with fans.
Deadline reported there are currently no plans for Moss’ Mary or Joel Kinnaman’s Robert, Nancy’s widower, to appear in Season 2. Cast deals are still being finalized, but Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Eleanor’s brother, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, who plays their mother, are expected to return, according to Deadline.
Background: who’s behind the series
Imperfect Women is a co-production between 20th Television and Apple Studios. Washington executive produces Season 2 through her Simpson Street banner alongside Pilar Savone. Moss’ Love & Squalor Pictures, which originally optioned Hall’s novel, continues as an executive producer through Moss and Lindsey McManus, joined by author Araminta Hall, according to Deadline. For more on what’s coming to streaming, check out what’s new on Netflix this month.
What’s next
Apple has not announced a premiere date or additional casting for Imperfect Women Season 2. Production details, including the rest of the cast, are expected as Weisman and Hillian move forward with the new Martha’s Vineyard storyline.
Reporting from Variety and Deadline contributed to this story.
