The buzz behind the television adaptation of Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn's stand-alone novel Sharp Objects has been significant. The limited series stars Oscar-nominee and silver screen regular Amy Adams. And it is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, the film director who also directed and executive produced the HBO hit Big Little Lies. It stands to reason that viewers currently watching the show may be interested in seeing more of the series. Will they?
Originally planned as a miniseries, a continuation of Sharp Objects has not been in the cards, and that will apparently remain the case. There are no plans for a second season, as revealed at Sharp Object's TCA panel (per a tweet by Collider's Allison Keene). What makes that stance difficult to entirely accept is that the same thing was said about HBO's other breakout limited series, Big Little Lies. That was also a originally intended as a one-and-done miniseries adaptation of a stand-alone novel with an all-star cast directed by Sharp Objects' helmer Jean-Marc Vallée.
A hit in the ratings and with critics, the buzz behind Big Little Lies continuing eventually resulted in the series being greenlit for a second season, so plans have been known to change. There is reason to suspect that Sharp Objects could do the same. Premiering in mid-summer, the series' seemingly inevitable awards acclaim is still a ways off. Time will tell if Sharp Objects receives similar acknowledgment to Big Little Lies and if that could theoretically impact the current stance on a second season. Ratings are another factor.
Premiering in early July, Sharp Objects debuted to strong ratings for HBO. In fact, the miniseries' premiere numbers were up 36% from Big Little Lies' premiere bow. That is no small feat. With Sharp Objects about to enter the midpoint of its run with the premiere of Episode 4 on Sunday, those numbers will be more telling as most series' sometimes experience erosion.
Of course, ratings and awards/critical accolades may not end up impacting whether Sharp Objects continues. The real test may lie in if there is a story worth telling following the conclusion of the series' initial run, and a willingness to bring that theoretical story to the screen. A lot of that depends on how the series ends and which characters are left standing.
Amy Adams' Camille is a reporter, so there could certainly be room for her to tackle another mystery in a second season, depending on how the initial story plays out. If so, Sharp Objects has the foundation to continue given that, like Big Little Lies, one of its core facets is being mystery-driven. For now, Sharp Objects will probably end with Season 1.
New episodes of Sharp Objects air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET. For new television shows coming soon, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres.
