Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for the Murder in a Small Town season 1 finale!Murder in a Small Town executive producer Jeff Wachtel offers a detailed story update for season 2, explaining the direction the story will take. Murder in a Small Town episode 8, the season 1 finale, revealed the show’s serial killer was Tommy Cummins (Noah Reid), an art teacher who, in the final episode, started posing his victims like artistic portraits. While he almost murders Devon (Alisha Newton), Karl (Rossif Sutherland) arrives in time to save her. Tommy is arrested, ending the season with him in custody.
Speaking with TV Insider, Wachtel explained that Murder in a Small Town season 2 would begin focusing more on individual character stories, specifically listing Karl’s job, Cassandra’s (Kristen Kruek) past, Sid’s (Aaron Douglas) family, and the careers of Isabella (Savonna Spracklin) and Edwina (Mya Lowe). The executive producer also teased another season-long arc with murders, but not a serial killer as the culprit. He also teased a deeper exploration of Karl and Cassandra’s relationship following their kiss at the very end of season 1. Check out what Wachtel had to say below:
[Karl] Alberg’s purview will expand. It’s natural. He’s very competent and ought to get more responsibility. In the next season, he has a much broader purview, but there’s new staff, there are new people and other ambitions that come up.
By the end of the season, we had kind of earned [the serial killer arc], but it’s not a place that I want to go back to a whole lot. There is going to be a season-long mystery in Season 2, which will involve more than one killing. It won’t be episode-specific, but both Karl and Cassandra will be kind of tracking it from different angles. There is going to be a little bit of a, ‘Wait, this one and this one, which are unsolved over the last 10 years, kind of tie together,’ and it’s a bit of a surprise who the baddie is.
[Karl and Cassandra are] not married, and they are both carrying some damage… so they definitely get deeper and more committed. She’s running for councilwoman. I don’t want to do spoiler alerts about that, but if she were to win that election, that might put her professionally at odds with her boyfriend. We’re going to introduce a new character who’s a bit of an antagonist, who’s a mayor in the town, who’s a bit of a stir-upper of things. So they’re both highly opinionated people and very committed to their vision of betterment of the world, which is going to bring them up against each other. But most of the issues I think that we’re going to be looking at in Season 2 are not, ‘Do I love you?’ issues, but more, ‘This is how I see the world.’
What Wachtel’s Plans Say About Murder In A Small Town Season 2
The Show’s Follow-Up Will Broaden Its Focus
Wachtel’s plans reveal the series isn’t going to stop focusing on its core characters despite Tommy finally being captured for his crimes. With Cassandra running for Town Council, her getting the position could make season 2’s investigation much different, for both her and Karl. It also means Murder in a Small Town‘s filming locations will remain the same, instead of focusing on a different location with another murder. The characters will have to deal with a new crime that could shake the town’s foundations once again.
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Given the plans Wachtel has for season 2, it’s unclear if the show will maintain its small episode count moving forward. While eight-episode seasons can help make the series’ storytelling more concise, they could be limiting if the goal is to feature deeper dives into major characters’ lives. While some of the best murder mystery shows do this concisely, it could benefit the series to have more episodes depending on the nature of the killer next time around. With the promise of a different focus, the show might reinvent itself as its story continues.
Our Take On Murder In A Small Town Season 2’s Plans
It’s The Perfect Way To Follow Up On The Serial Killer Story
With plans to focus more on its established characters, Murder in a Small Town season 2 could be a very strong follow-up to season 1’s serial killer storyline. While season 2 hasn’t been officially announced yet, Wachtel’s detailed plans indicate how strong a new case with the same cast would be. Since there’s already plenty of intrigue surrounding the show’s lead characters, it would be perfect for their story to continue with a brand new case for them to go up against.
All episodes of
Murder in a Small Town
are streaming on Hulu.
Source: TV Insider