Showrunner Update Leaves The Beast In Me Season 2 In Limbo

Netflix slipped a sleek little thriller onto the service on November 13 called The Beast In Me, and it has already inspired the inevitable question: is there going to be a Season 2? Short answer from the guy in charge: maybe. Longer answer below.

So, is The Beast In Me getting a Season 2?

Showrunner and executive producer Howard Gordon told PEOPLE that he is absolutely open to more. When asked if he wants another season, his one-word reply was:

"Always."

Translation: they are waiting to see how the show performs before committing. If they find a story worth telling, the team would happily come back. As of now, no actual Season 2 ideas are pinned to the board.

Gordon expanded on the thought to TV Insider, saying that as long as Claire Danes' character Aggie is still out there and still a writer, there is probably a story to chase. If Netflix wants it and they crack a premise that feels worth doing, the cast and crew are game. He also floated a very specific thread he would like to pull on if the show returns: Aggie's estranged, con-artist dad, a relationship that is messy enough to fuel a whole season.

• Renewal status: not ordered yet
• What Gordon is saying: open to it, but waiting on how the series performs
• Season 2 ideas so far: none locked in
• What he wants to explore next: Aggie's grifter father
• How Season 1 ends: clean, no dangling threads
• Who could carry a follow-up: Aggie or Nina, picking up after Season 1's events
• Premiere timing: debuted November 13
• Where to watch: all eight episodes are streaming now on Netflix

Quick refresher: what the show is

Claire Danes plays Aggie Wiggs, a once-celebrated author and grieving mom who is completely stuck with writer's block. Inspiration shows up in the worst way possible: her new neighbor Nile Jarvis (played by Matthew Rhys), a powerful real-estate figure who was previously named the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance. Aggie starts circling him for a new book, and the two slide into a tense cat-and-mouse dynamic that gets dangerous fast.

The vibe: old-school tension with sharp edges

Danes has been calling the show a little bit Hitchcock-flavored, which tracks. It has that polished unease, the slow-burn dread, and a fixation on psychology over jump scares.

"It felt a little Hitchcockian to me. Tasteful and grisly."

Rhys agrees with that read. Part of what gives the series its classic-thriller feel is the split in Aggie's personality: outwardly controlled, inwardly volatile. What sealed the deal for Danes was the charged relationship between Aggie and Nile. They are a bad idea with great chemistry: a pair of unlikely, dangerous soulmates knotted together by secrets and shifting power.

Where this could go

Season 1 wraps itself up without cliffhangers, which I actually appreciate. That said, the door is open to drop back in on Aggie or Nina and see what their lives look like after the fallout. If Netflix wants more and Gordon finds the right angle, expect the focus to shift into character territory we only glimpsed this time, like Aggie's father.

Bottom line: no renewal yet, but the will is there if the numbers hit and the story is worth it. In the meantime, if you are into stylish, nerve-prickly thrillers with two powerhouse leads playing a deadly game, The Beast In Me is already waiting for you on Netflix.