‘The Fall’ season 4: Where could BBC Two, Netflix go from here?

As viewers in Great Britain are aware of thanks to yesterday’s finale, “The Fall” season 3 is over and done. The series aired a complicated series of episodes that reminded us in the end that Stella Gibson cannot quite get what she wants, even if we are firmly in her corner and rooting for her to find some peace in the midst of great chaos.

Obviously, we cannot talk further about season without noting that (spoiler) Paul Spector is dead. He took his own life, and that leaves BBC Two, Netflix, and any other broadcaster for the series in a pickle in the event there are more stories to tell moving forward into the future. The struggle stems from this: You’re a show that was sold for the most part on having Jamie Dornan and Gillian Anderson in your cast. These are two big stars, and they add weight to a show that doesn’t get much buzz elsewhere. Its name struggles to inform you of the plot, and the premise is not an easy to one to explain.

If the series is to persist, it could have a hard time selling itself on another story. Having Anderson is essential — there is no show otherwise, and we know that she is certainly capable of carrying this show on her own. Remember back to season 1; that was before “Fifty Shades of Grey” catapulted Dornan to a new level of stardom, and she was the primary selling point. You can put Gibson at the center of a new mystery and make it work. With that said, there are two things that need to be done in order for that to happen properly.

1. The show needs to continue to come up with compelling stories – Don’t bring it back unless you have an idea that is as good, if not better, than the first three seasons. Let’s not milk the franchise for the sole sake of doing so.

2. The show needs to take a break. Don’t hurry anything along. Maybe go off the air for a couple of years, and then come back with a fresh take that offers up new opportunities for your cast to shine.