'American Primeval' Season 2: Everything We Know

The six-episode Western miniseries American Primeval hit Netflix on January 9, 2024, taking viewers on a journey through the brutality of 1850s America as a fight for land ensues between Indigenous tribes, colonial settlers, and the Mormon militia. In the show written by Mark L. Smith and directed by Peter Berg, Taylor Kitsch stars as Isaac, a lone traveler who aids mother-and-son duo Sara (Betty Gilpin) and Devin (Preston Mota) and an Indigenous runaway Two Moons (Shawnee Pourier) in their journey to reunite with their family and find freedom.

By the end of the must-watch series’ finale, Isaac has died from a fatal gunshot wound, leaving Sara, Devin, and Two Moons to complete the journey without him. The Mormon militia has also killed secondary characters Jacob and Abish Pratt (Dane DeHaan and Saura Lightfoot-Leon, respectively) as well as members of the Shoshone Indigenous tribe (including Red Feather, played by Derek Hinkey). With so many deaths, are there still Western stories for American Primeval to tell? Here’s everything we know about a potential American Primeval season 2 renewal.

How does 'American Primeval' end?

Spoilers for the entire first season of American Primeval ahead. According to director Peter Berg, the team started production without knowing who lived or died. “We had multiple options—from nobody dying to all of them dying,” he told Netflix’s Tudum. As the war for the American West rages on throughout the show’s six episodes, one man decides to walk away entirely: Shea Whigham’s Jim Bridger, a real historical trading post owner, who sells his eponymous Fort Bridger to the Mormon Church. “This is a guy who sees it’s over, [and realizes] that this thing we built is going the wrong way, and I’m getting out while I can,” series creator and writer Mark L. Smith told Tudum.

However, Fort Bridger didn’t stay standing for long: Mormon leader Brigham Young burned it to the ground shortly after the purchase (both in real life and on the show) to discourage any battles with the US Army for the property. Meanwhile, his Mormon army called the Nauvoo Legion is in pursuit of the Shoshone Indian tribe who are holding Abish—a Mormon who witnessed the militia’s massacre of settlers in the first episode—captive. Abish’s husband Jacob rides with the Nauvoo Legion and unknowingly shoots his wife, killing Abish instantly and killing himself shortly thereafter.

Those aren’t the only deaths in American Primeval; Isaac, the traveler leading Sara and her son across the terrain (and who also falls in love with Sara along the way), is fatally shot in the finale. But Sara, who was fleeing an abusive relationship in the East and aiming to reunite with her husband in the West, makes it out alive with her son Devin and the Indigenous stowaway Two Moons. Whether she finds her husband is left unanswered, but the creators say that the heart of American Primeval is Sara’s journey to realizing what she’s capable of. “[The] Sara at the end of this story would not have needed the protection of the man she had to kill in the beginning of the story,” executive producer Eric Newman told Tudum.

Has 'American Primeval' been renewed for season 2?

American Primeval was originally conceived by Smith and Berg as a limited series, meaning the six episodes now streaming on Netflix tell the full story they originally set out to tell. Of course, things change (we all remember how Big Little Lies was expanded into a second season, inspiring countless other miniseries to do the same) and Netflix could choose to renew the miniseries if there is strong viewership.

Though the series was created as a limited story, Berg has admitted that he felt he wasn’t ready to part with the characters after production ended—and would be interested in continuing the show. In an interview with Decider, he said, “You know, after we wrapped, and I looked at all the actors—the ones that were still alive—I felt such affection for them…And I do think there are many ways that we could go.”

“I’ve still got to thaw out from my time spent up on those mountains in the winter, but maybe if they got to lower ground, that wasn’t quite as cold, we could. We could go back,” he continued.

The direction just had one stipulation that the show’s Indigenous consultant, Julie O’Keefe, return, too. “If Julie will come back, I’d be up for discussing it,” Berg said. “As long as I don’t have to have ice cleats again, I definitely will come back.” It sounds like Netflix just needs to come on board.

However, it may be even more likely for American Primeval to return with a prequel spinoff series. At least, that sounds like the direction Berg seems to be envisioning, now that the show has become a Netflix hit.

Several weeks after the series premiered, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Berg opened up about the prequel idea he has—and is in talks. When speaking about the ending and Isaac's death, THR noted that he "feels ripe for a prequel series," to which Berg responded, "We’re talking about it right now."

He continued, "Good pick. That’s the way we’d go if we do it, and I don’t know if we will, but that would be the way we would go."

The director also opened up about what might make pursuing a second season difficult. "One of the challenges there is that Shawnee and Preston, the actors that played Two Moons and Devin, we had enough trouble because the strike got us. We had to shut down for five months, and Preston went full puberty on us and gained three inches [in height] and his voice dropped and he started having hair on his face," he explained. "It would be a real big time jump to keep that crew going, but the idea of looking backwards is really interesting to me."

When would 'American Primeval' season 2 come out?

According to Variety, Netflix first commissioned American Primeval in December 2022, with the miniseries premiering in January 2025. The approximately 6-month-long Hollywood strike in 2023 likely contributed to the two-year lead time, so a conservative estimate for a potential second season would put it back on our TVs in early 2027.

Who in the 'American Primeval' cast would return for season 2?

The final battles of American Primeval leave a few of our main characters standing at the end, meaning Betty Gilpin, Preston Mota, and Shawnee Pourier could all return for a second season. Shea Whigham as Brigham Young could also reprise his role if the series is renewed.

But unfortunately, as Taylor Kitsch’s Isaac isn’t one of the lucky ones, he wouldn’t return for a prospective season 2. Berg, who previously worked with Kitsch on the hit ‘00s series Friday Night Lights, confirmed that while the death made sense for the character, seeing his good friend “die” on camera was emotional. “Isaac is an irreparably broken man from the beginning,” Berg told Tudum. “It’s rare that you meet people whose problems and situations in life are so tragic that you actually think that a noble death is maybe the best possible outcome. Isaac is in that strike zone.” He continued, “I had no problem with Isaac dying, but seeing Taylor dying and realizing that he’s my friend and that my friend’s going to die one day, it’s just something that you never…It’s gotten me a few times in my career, directing.”

What would 'American Primeval' season 2 be about?

A second season of American Primeval could pick up where it left off on Sara, Devin, and Two Moons’ continued journey west. Given the events depicted in the first season, it’s likely that they aren’t completely out of the woods yet—the Mormons could continue to ravage wars to secure their fates and survival—and season 2 could continue to explore the expansive horrors during this portion of America’s history.