The new Stephen King seriesThe Institutereceives a promising season 2 update. The MGM+ show, which is adapted from King’s 2019 novel, follows Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) and other children with supernatural abilities who are kidnapped, brutally experimented on, and kept captive at a mysterious facility called the Institute.
Meanwhile,Ben Barnes’Institutecharacter, Tim Jamieson, looks to get a fresh start in a new town. This new beginning does not go as Tim envisioned, though, as he gradually learns of a shocking conspiracy that involves the supernatural children and the nefarious forces subjugating them.
While speaking withVariety, writer Benjamin Cavell and director Jack Bender reveal thatthere is more they want to explore withThe Instituteseason 2. Cavell explains that the book only offers a glimpse of the larger conspiracy in play, and that he has already talked with King about where the story could go in a second season. Check out his comments below:
It’s always been on our minds from the beginning. The book is clearly designed to have more. It ends with this sense that there’s a much larger conspiracy and larger world outside of what we’ve seen, so we wanted to preserve that ending for our season. Obviously, we don’t endexactlythe same way, but we wanted to preserve that scene, that there is much more to be explored. We’ve certainly talked a lot and thought a lot about where it would go, and I have talked a bunch to Stephen about what he thinks about it and where he sees it going. So if there is a demand for more, we would love to make more.
What This Means For The Institute
Season 2 Can Happen Despite Season 1’s Complete Story
Cavell makes it clear thatThe Institute’s season 1 storywill bepreserving the ending of King’s novel despite some inevitable changesfrom the source material. Season 1 is adapting the entirety of the book over the course of eight episodes, but that doesn’t mean that the show has to end there, especially if it becomes a streaming hit.
The Institute’s positive reviewsand 75% Rotten Tomatoes score are promising and indicate that the show can extend beyond King’s original story. At the time this is being written, the series has not been renewed for season 2, but if it does happen,Cavell, Bender, and King already have ideas about where they can take the narrative.
Our Take On Benjamin Cavell’s Comments
The Institute Season 2 Has Its Pros & Cons
As someone who recently readThe Institutefor the first time, Ihave mixed feelings about the idea of a season 2. Without getting into spoilers, Cavell is right that what happens to Luke and his peers is only a small glimpse of a sinister operation that has a massive scope beyond what is explored in the novel.
That being said, I foundThe Institute’s ending to be satisfying in terms of how it concludes the character arcs, plot, and lingering questions, and it did not leave me feeling as though a sequel was necessary. I may feel differently depending on how season 1 of the show ends, but I amwary of extending a story that already works wellthe way it is.
I am also wary ofThe Instituteseason 2 happening without having direct source material to draw from, which has led to a decline in other shows that have gone this route.King being involved in these discussions makes me more confidentin the possibilities of a continuation, but first, I want to see how the existing story has been adapted.
