Abhiroop Das
Created by Ricky Gervais, Netflix’s ‘Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats’ takes the lens away from humans and places it on cats, more specifically, a group of feral cats that roam the streets of Britain. Some of these cats have known nothing but the underbelly of this town. Others are posh, well-fed, and groomed, but still find their way back to this group. However, their usual rhythm breaks when they are approached by a lost kitten, and from then on, the rest of this animated comedy series is about bringing Kitten back home. By the end of the season, her home is found, but Kitten decides to live among her new friends instead, declaring them to be her real family. With this, the group is now one member stronger, and all the more happy, but whether there is more to this story, enough for a potential second season, still remains a mystery.
Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats Season 2 is Unlikely to Happen Given the Story Structure
While ‘Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats’ wraps up its main storyline by the end of season 1, this is ultimately a story about a group of street cats doing whatever they please. With that premise, there is effectively no limit to how many episodes and seasons can be cooked up, and it ultimately depends on whether the creators want to renew it. That said, Netflix hasn’t given season 2 the greenlight as of writing, and when comparing ‘Alley Cats’ to similar animated adult comedies, the chances are slim at best. The spiritual sibling to this series is ‘Mating Season,’ which is also about anthropomorphic animals finding their rhythm in life. While the show was met with decent success, Netflix has yet to announce its sequel, and whether ‘Alley Cats’ has a different fate depends entirely on how it is received by audiences.
Another pattern that emerges in Netflix series is that multiple episodes are often produced in advance, and then segmented and released in blocks or seasons. We see that happen with ‘Inside Job,’ another Netflix show that had a batch of twenty episodes split into two seasons. A similar structure can also be found in the case of ‘Harley Quinn,’ ‘Velma,’ and, very likely, ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft,’ which was shelved after a two-season run, despite being relatively beloved among fans.
The 6-episode structure of ‘Alley Cats’ only furthers that possibility, and while that means that we might get another peek into this world soon, that can also very well be the last. Creator Ricky Gervais has had a long journey with Netflix, spanning several shows, and this might just be his attempt at a complete animated series, unlike his ‘The Ricky Gervais Show,’ which is basically an animated rendition of his podcasts. As such, it is the viewers of ‘Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats’ who ultimately hold the key to a potential season 2.
A Potential Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats Season 2 Can Ask Bigger Questions About Death
A potential sequel run for ‘Ricky Gervais’ Alley Cats’ is very likely to be about romantic relationships, as Kitten’s arc is effectively over. The finale teases a love story between Gus and Lara, and in the same breath, it crushes all hopes for a ship between Pounce and Olive. Right after that scene, though, we see Olive get together with an unnamed cat, and that right there can be the source of welcome chaos going forward. However, the more well-developed relationship is expected to be at the center of things, especially now that we know Lara has a gang of her own, and it’s not only bigger but also seems to be more hip. One possible plotline that can emerge out of this is Gus being enticed by this new group, leaving his good old friends behind.
While Puke’s poor health has been the subject of jokes all this time, at the end, it really is something to worry about. The cats have already shown how little they care about visiting the vet, as Olive’s bee sting injury could very well have been something serious, but they don’t seem to care. The theme of death hovers over every episode of the show, and it is especially potent considering cats’ small lifespans and inability to comprehend what death really means. In a way, this makes the show a better meditation on death than many of its non-animated counterparts, and for Ricky Gervais, ever the humorous pessimist, a second season brings the opportunity to refine and push those themes further. Ultimately, though, the chances of this feline comedy getting its sequel are slim to none.
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