Nurse Mildred Ratched will be back in the hit Netflix series, so here’s everything you need to know about Ratched season 2.
This fall will mark three years since Ratched starring Sarah Paulson, first premiered on Netflix on September 18, 2020. Ratched serves as an origin story and prequel series to the classic 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, based on the 1962 novel by Ken Kesey. Most people know “Nurse Mildred Ratched” as the cruel villainess from the story, but Ratched on Netflix is Ryan Murphy’s new take on the iconic character.
Netflix initially ordered 18 episodes spread across two seasons toward the start of their partnership with Murphy. The first season consisted of eight episodes, and fans have been waiting for the rumored ten-episode Ratched season 2 for literal years now without so much as a whisper regarding its status.
Ratched season 1 ending explained
At the end of the first season, Mildred leaves town with her girlfriend Gwendolyn so they can find her the best cancer treatment possible. Mildred wants to leave everything behind and start over somewhere new with Gwendolyn, but the end of the season sets up a big confrontation with her brother, Edmund.
After receiving the death penalty, Mildred originally planned to mercy-kill Edmund so he wouldn’t have to die in an electric chair. Charlotte helps Edmund break out of prison before she can, and Edmund is angry when he hears about Mildred’s original plan to kill him.
What could Ratched season 2 be about?
The season 1 finale ends with Edmund and Charlotte passing Mildred as they escape, and it’s implied that when the show returns, it will become a cat-and-mouse chase between brother and sister as Edmund goes after his sister. Somehow, the second season will also likely put Mildred on the path to becoming the terrifying woman we know her as in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Ratched season 2 cast updates
There haven’t been any updates on the show’s future, but if filming gets underway, we can probably expect star Sarah Paulson to return and some of the other main characters, like Finn Wittrock’s Edmund Tolleson and Cynthia Nixon as Gwendolyn Briggs.
Nixon also stars in the Sex and the City revival And Just Like That. Season 2 of the HBO series started filming in October 2022 and just recently finished filming this April, so it’s possible Nixon could be eligible to film Ratched later this year. Wittrock was previously cast in the upcoming HBO series Lanterns, based on the DC superhero Green Lantern.
However, in October 2022, it was revealed that Lanterns would be reworked and focus on John Stewart instead of Guy Gardner, who Wittrock was cast to play. It’s unclear if Wittrock is still attached to the project. Sophie Okonedo is likely to return as Edmund’s accomplice Charlotte Wells.
Sharon Stone and Jon Jon Briones probably will not be back since their characters, Lenore Osgood and Richard Hanover, were killed at the end of season 1.
Is Ratched season 2 still happening on Netflix?
This September will mark three years since Ratched debuted on Netflix, and we haven’t heard anything regarding the show’s status since then. Netflix has not formally canceled the series, but it’s possible it was quietly binned.
At this point, even star Sarah Paulson doesn’t know if season 2 will ever happen. It’s starting to seem increasingly unlikely. Maybe pre-pandemic, we might have said it was rare for renewed shows to get canceled, but that occurs with increasing frequency these days. Anything could happen.
Will Ratched season 2 be the final season?
If Ratched season 2 does eventually happen, there is a good chance it will be the final season since Netflix doesn’t appear super invested in the show anymore. Ryan Murphy’s other Netflix series, The Watcher and Monster, seem more important to the streamer than Ratched. Monster even received a rare, two-season renewal, extending it to at least a third season.
Previously when Paulson spoke about the show, she said the writers had an endgame in mind, so it sounds like Ratched was always meant to be just two seasons.
Does Ratched season 2 have a release date?
No, Ratched season 2 has no release date and is unlikely to be released in 2023.
