Amanda Seyfried's portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes likely has some fans — and possibly one powerful person for this whole situation — wanting The Dropout season 2. And how could you now? Seyfried captured the manic, intense energy of Holmes, where you believe that she believes that Holmes was doing the right thing.
A jury of Holmes' peers, though, thought otherwise. So, if The Dropout season 2 were to come to pass, it wouldn't be about her success following the damaging Wall Street Journal article, but about her elongated trial and conviction.
What, exactly, was Holmes thinking as the public eye focused on her more tightly? What would she think of all the impressions from comedians?
But while some may easily dismiss the idea of The Dropout season 2 — this is an adaptation of a finished podcast, mind you — there are possibilities for something more from Hulu (one of the best streaming services) and Seyfried. Let's break it all down below:
The Dropout season 2 lives rent-free in Amanda Seyfried's head
At first, Amanda Seyfried was done with Holmes and the story, as she told Variety "There was already a point where I had kind of washed my hands of it. I had a moment after we finished shooting where I was like 'Okay, well that was good – I’m done.'" But that didn't exactly last.
Seyfried continued, saying "And then [The Dropout] creeped back in as we started doing press for the show, and then my interest was piqued again just after New Year’s [when] she was convicted." Rebecca Jarvis and Taylor Dunn, who made The Dropout podcast started texting Seyfried the news of the conviction. Which gave Seyfried "a kind of re-emergence of interest."
Seyfried's interest in how Holmes is today was then born, as she said "I think about it often, like 'What did you know? What is she inventing right now? What is she thinking about?'"
And it's when she said "God, I just want to get lost a little bit more!" that some may have thought she has intent on continuing the exploration of the character on screen.
Why The Dropout season 2 probably won't happen
That said, there's more reason to think The Dropout season 2 won't happen. First off, the podcast it's based on was a limited-run series that ended in February 2019. If they're only running the show off the source material? Well, then they're running dry.
Second of all, Hulu's press materials refer to The Dropout as a "limited series." That's the language you use for a show that ends after one run. Disney Plus referred to WandaVision the same way, and WandaVision season 2 doesn't seem likely either (though the Agatha Harkness spin-off show is).
There's also the matter of series creator Elizabeth Meriwether's statements about a possible second season. Also speaking to Variety, the showrunner stated "I’m done with the story!" That sure sounds like a closed book.
She continued, though, saying "I obviously will be interested to see what happens and I’m sure everybody in my life will text me every new development, which is what happens now. But I spent three years on this, and I really feel like [moving on]."
Analysis: What's next for The Dropout?
As it stands, it feels like The Dropout season 2 isn't going to be a thing. That said, it does certainly seem like we could get some other continuation of the story. The story of Holmes' trial and conviction could easily give you enough fodder for a single film for Hulu.
The Dropout has likely been a strong enough hit for Hulu to merit such a spinoff. The Parrot Analytics research firm claims that it had an "outstanding" U.S. TV audience demand, that is 15.4 times as much as the average show in the states during the last month. So if Seyfried is on board, and Hulu wants more? Never say never.
