Will There Be An Obsession Season 2 On Netflix?

The new Netflix series Obsession tells the story of a particularly twisty affair: one that unfolds between a woman and her boyfriend’s dad. Based on the 1991 novel by Josephine Hart, Obsession stars Richard Armitage and Charlie Murphy as William and Anna, respectively.

Theirs can be described as a BDSM relationship, co-writer Morgan Lloyd Malcolm said in a Netflix press release. “The point I wanted to make is that, per se, BDSM sex is not abusive or bad,” she explained. “In fact, it can be done safely and brilliantly and healthily. The difficulty here is the choices that these two people are making and how the relationship becomes a runaway train that we all know will crash spectacularly.”

The Independent describes Obsession as following in the footsteps of You and Sex/Life, and Collider says it’s “one of the steamiest projects” of the year. While The Guardian calls the show’s source material “the 50 Shades of its day,” referring to E.L. James' uber-popular Fifty Shades of Grey series.

Since Fifty Shades spanned three movies, it makes sense to wonder if Obsession will see its adaptation stretched into a second season. It’s unlikely for one simple reason: Netflix has billed the show as a limited series. It seems the intention was always to tell William and Anna’s story over the span of four episodes. However, sometimes limited series are renewed for more seasons, so it’s not entirely impossible for Obsession to return with more episodes.

Despite the dark subject matter — and the tragic consequences of William and Anna’s affair — it seems like both actors had an enjoyable experience filming the show. “My screen partner, Charlie, made me laugh so much on set that I nearly cracked a (naked) rib,” Armitage wrote in an essay for The Telegraph. “My goal was to finish each working day, proud of what we had done, knowing that Charlie was going home feeling great about herself and her work.”

The actor also praised Adelaide Waldrop, who was the first intimacy coordinator he’d ever worked with. “With a healthy chunk of rehearsal time, we were able to construct a map of investigation for the physical journey,” Armitage explained of the team’s approach to the show, which practices nudity parity. (“That’s industry speak for full kit off for male and female actors,” he added.)

Murphy, similarly, had a positive experience behind the scenes. “We did a week of intimate scenes, and I never thought I’d say it, but we could have done more — I wish we’d done more,” she told The Irish News.

If you can’t get enough of Obsession, you can always stream 1992’s Damage, which was actually the first screen adaptation of Hart’s novel. Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche played the central lovers in that version, which earned a slew of award nominations, including a César Award nod for Binoche.