Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Ryan Murphy and Matt Hodgson, FX’s ‘The Beauty‘ is a sci-fi body horror show adapted from Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley’s comic of the same name that ventures into a reality where people’s desire to become aesthetically perfect is weaponized. After Byron Forst forces a magic drug known as the Beauty into existence, people flock to the markets to get a shot and undergo a complete physical transformation. However, this comes at a cost, as the treatment can burn through a person’s insides, ultimately forcing them to lose all control of their bodies and explode. What’s worse is that this treatment appears to be sexually transmissible, and before long, the entire world is taken over by its unpredictable nature.
For FBI agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett, who initially set out to investigate and curb this virus, such proliferation almost translates to a complete defeat. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, as after an unlikely alliance with assassins Antonio and Jeremy, as well as Byron Forst’s employee Diana, and son Tiger, they come across a potential cure to the Beauty. While FX has not confirmed a sequel for the show as of writing, in the best-case scenario, fans can expect a season 2 in 2027.
The Beauty Season 2 Can Potentially Introduce a Cure to the Crisis
With the ending of ‘The Beauty’ season 1 teasing Cooper’s return to his normal self, a potential season 2 is most likely to build on the cliffhanger and reveal what actually happens to him. Notably, Cooper’s fate does not just exist in a vacuum, as he is technically patient zero for a possible cure to the Beauty. Such an invention can push the narrative to ask thematically richer questions, specifically about people’s choice to go back to their original selves or stay in their new, aestheticized forms. For characters like Antonio and Jeremy, the choice is clearly the latter option, but that too comes with its own exploration into the ideas of body and soul. A potential continuation of the story can go all in with the social commentary that gives the show its shape.
Another plot point introduced in the season finale is Tiger’s alliance with Diana, and by extension, Cooper and company. While we know that Tiger intends to extend his father’s twisted legacy, Cooper and Jordan are still unaware of what they are getting into. Chances are, that by working with Tiger and potentially assassinating Byron in a hypothetical season 2 of ‘The Beauty,’ the duo might just be digging their grave. The fates of Antonio and Jeremy are also intertwined in all of this, as Byron likely has no reason to go after them anymore. In a potential continuation, the final clash can emerge as one between Cooper’s camp and Tiger’s, with the future of the Beauty at stake.
The Beauty Season 2 Might Bring Back Some Familiar Faces
One unique thing about the cast of ‘The Beauty’ is that two actors often essay the same role. With the finale introducing a possible cure for the Beauty, chances are that many of the actors who are initially assumed to have left the show can return if a sequel is greenlit. As such, while actors Hudson Barry and Jessica Alexander are likely to step back into the show as Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett, respectively, there is a chance that actors Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall might reprise their roles for season 2. The same holds true for actors Vincent D’Onofrio and Ashton Kutcher, who play the pre- and post-Beauty version of Byron Forst, respectively. However, for Jeremy and Antonio, there is a good chance that only actors Jeremy Pope and Anthony Ramos will return, given how much the characters value their new bodies.
With Tiger Forst and Diana Sterling emerging as big players by the end of season 1, actors Ray Nicholson and Ari Graynor are bound to have a more prominent role in case the show is greenlit for a season 2. There is also the mystery of what happens to Clara in the aftermath of Byron and Antonio’s clean-up mission, which means that there is a distinct chance that Lux Pascal may reprise her role once again. However, given some significant deaths in this season, many actors are unlikely to return for a hypothetical second run, including Rob Yang, Chanel Stewart, Emma Halleen, and John Carroll Lynch, who play Ray, Claire, Belle, and Meyer, respectively.
The Beauty Season 2 is Likely to Expand on Cooper and Jordan’s Love Story
The biggest development in the latter half of ‘The Beauty’ season 1, apart from Cooper’s surprise transformation, is undoubtedly his confession to Jordan. Before their romantic journey can even begin, however, the Beauty’s effects emerge as a near-unshakeable wall. With the ending, this status quo shows the possibility of change, and a potential sequel run can go deeper into Cooper and Jordan’s relationship, showing how their different reactions to the Beauty can go on to alter the course they take in eliminating it from the world. This, in turn, makes their budding dynamic with Antonio and Jeremy even more interesting, as while the two groups started out as sworn enemies, they now more so resemble a found family. Whether or not such a dynamic continues to flourish in a continuation of the story, however, remains to be seen.
Byron undergoes perhaps the most radical transformation across the first season, as he goes from being a seeming embodiment of evil in the story to a much grayer and more complicated presence. While it is confirmed that Franny survives her suicide attempt, that doesn’t shine a light on how she might react to the aftermath. It is possible that Byron’s redemption arc can coincide with a resurrection of his relationship with her, but his dynamic with his two sons is likely altered forever. A potential second season can very well introduce a succession war, with Byron paying for a long list of sins he has committed over the years. The star of the show remains the Beauty, and with each transformation we see on screen, its hold over the narrative seems to be growing only stronger. As such, a sequel to ‘The Beauty’ largely depends on what shape the eponymous treatment cum disease takes on.
Read More: Is The Beauty a True Story? Is the Beauty Based on a Real Drug or Virus?
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