The Undoing ratings surge ahead of finale; season 2 still not happening

The Undoing

The case of HBO’s The Undoing is a fascinating one. Its existence is a prime example of the value of a limited series. Yet, simultaneously it’s also the sort of show that would make most networks reconsider their previous plans about having it be one-and-done.

Sunday night’s new episode, the penultimate one of the season, ended up drawing its best live numbers to date in 1.28 million viewers. To think, this is just people who chose to watch it on HBO in its first airing, and does not include HBO Max viewers, people who saw repeats, or people who watched on their DVR. What we’re trying to say here is that the audience is so much larger even than this number suggests.

Yet, even in spite of the strong performance, there is no season 2 on the way. This is based on established source material with a beginning, middle, and end. While this did not stop Big Little Lies from getting another season, there isn’t any evidence suggesting that this show is going to reverse course on its established plan.

If we were HBO, what we would do is look at The Undoing as a prime example of the value of a quality limited series, one with a big-name cast led by Nicole Kidman and a notable writer in David E. Kelley. We would use this to set a blueprint for other projects coming up — ones that could feature both Kidman and Kelley again. We think we’ve seen enough evidence now across multiple shows that these two are a winning combination, and it would be silly to drift from that provided that both parties are interested in continuing their collaboration.

Related News Be sure to get some more news on The Undoing finale, set to arrive this weekend

What do you think of the ratings performance of The Undoing?

Do you want a season 2, or are you glad that HBO has stuck with this being a limited series so far? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments, and stick around for some other news on the series. (Photo: HBO.)

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