It’s been nearly half a year since we bid farewell to A Million Little Things, wiping away what I’m sure were a million little tears at the full-circle moment that saw Gary Mendez end his life amid a battle with terminal cancer. The series finale in May gave AMLT fans — aka Millionaires — flashes of what came next for the tight-knit group of friends, providing a (mostly) satisfying ending to their story. … But what if that wasn’t the end? Creator DJ Nash gave a cryptic response to a fan asking about the series, and now I’m excited all over again about what I’d love to see next.
The writer’s and actor’s strikes have wreaked havoc on the TV and movie schedules, leaving many confused about what series ended as planned, which were canceled and what we’ll get new seasons of in 2024. So I don’t blame the Millionaire who asked DJ Nash to clarify the status of A Million Little Things, but I certainly was not expecting this answer:
It’s over. For now.
“For now”?! DJ Nash had always envisioned A Million Little Things running for five seasons, and he stuck to his guns to complete the story the way he had planned from the beginning. However, it almost sounded like Nash regretted that decision as the finale drew closer, and he said he was leaving the door open to possibly revisit the story down the line. To know that he’s maintained that train of thought for the past six months feels promising.
Do I dare get my hopes up, after spending probably too much time crying and thinking about 16-year-old Javi Mendez watching and rewatching old videos from Gary, mourning the fact that he’d never get to meet the glue that held the “band of dads” together so many times? Well, either way, that’s where we’re at, and here’s what I’d like to see happen next:
I’d love to see a spinoff called Band of Dads that centered around the children of the “Rutledge” gang that follows them into young adulthood as they start their own families. This could bring the same “it takes a village” mindset from AMLT, focusing on found family, and we know from the series finale that Jon’s son Danny, Gary’s son Javi, Eddie’s son Theo, and Rome’s son Tyrell all still keep in touch to some degree, as they continued their fathers’ tradition of attending Bruins hockey games.
Their parents may have been the focus of A Million Little Things, but each of the kids already has a richly developed backstory, and it doesn’t hurt that we saw that Tyrell and Jon’s daughter Sophie were expecting a baby of their own. This spinoff would also give us a chance to learn more about the future hinted at in the AMLT finale, including Katherine and Greta having a child of their own, Sophie’s band touring the world and Maggie’s dating life post-Gary.
DJ Nash and showrunner Terrence Coli have set the table for the perfect spinoff to continue the Bostonians’ story of friendship, and it certainly sounds like Nash has maintained hope for something more. Until that happens though, we can always relive A Million Little Things, with all five seasons available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
