Netflix Smash Hit With 20 Million Weekly Views Faces Uncertain Future for Season 2

Netflix might be rethinking a second season of its hit limited series The Perfect Couple. According to Deadline, the streamer was planning a follow-up based on Elin Hilderbrand’s 2024 Nantucket-set novel Swan Song.

Joanna Calo, known for her work as executive producer and co-showrunner on The Bear, had been attached as writer and showrunner for the project.

Sources told Deadline that Calo has now left, and no new writer has been named. Netflix has not confirmed whether a second season will happen.

Swan Song follows the mysterious Richardsons, who buy a $22 million summer home and throw wild parties, flirt with locals, show off their wealth with two yachts, and excite everyone they meet. When their house burns down and their key employee disappears, the whole island is in chaos.

The original series, The Perfect Couple, had Jenna Lamia as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Nicole Kidman starred in the series and served as an executive producer, while Susanne Bier directed and also produced.

Kidman and Bier are expected to return as executive producers if the second season happens, alongside fellow EPs Gail Berman, Shawn Levy, Per Saari, and Hend Baghdady.

Critics had mixed reactions to the first season. Rotten Tomatoes reported a 66% approval rating with an average score of 6.1/10 based on 73 critic reviews. The critics’ consensus reads, “Predictability keeps The Perfect Couple far from being perfect, but intriguing performances and attractive vistas keep this seaside murder mystery highly watchable.”

Despite the mixed reviews, The Perfect Couple was a huge hit with audiences. During the September 2–8 viewing window, it became Netflix’s top series, gathering 20.3 million views in just four days. It stayed at number one the following week, with 21.9 million views from September 9–15. In the week of September 16–22, it dropped to second place with 10.4 million views.

The show continued to draw viewers, adding six million views the week of September 23–29, then 3.8 million views the week of September 30–October 6, ranking fifth, and 2.5 million views the week of October 7–13, ranking eighth.

Even with these strong numbers, Netflix appears to be taking its time deciding whether Swan Song will move forward, at least the reports claim as much. For now, fans of The Perfect Couple will have to wait to see if the story continues.

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