There's A Massive Treat Coming For Fans Of All 4's 'The End Of The F***ing World'

In delightful news, it turns out The End of the F***ing World wasn't quite the end, as Channel 4 and Netflix have co-commissioned a second season of the bleak yet profoundly heartwarming comedy-drama. Season 1 saw self-described teen psychopath James (Alex Lawther) and unapologetic outsider Alyssa (Jessica Barden) initiate a road trip that escalated into disaster — and it won the show both critical acclaim and public adoration. So when does The End of the F***ing World Season 2 start? Here's everything we know so far.

In a press release, Channel 4 observed that the show became All 4’s most marathoned TV show "of any exclusive single series"; what's more, it was nominated for a BAFTA and a Primetime Emmy, and won an RTS Award. Channel 4 confirmed that writer Charlie Covell will return; she said, "I’m completely thrilled that we’re going again and I’m delighted to be back working with such a great team." And what else does the press release reveal? "After a shocking series finale, only one thing is certain…expect the unexpected." Yep, that's about it. No release date, no confirmed cast, no trailer. Must you tease us like this, Channel 4? I've contacted them for comment, but haven't yet received a reply.

Let's theorise: how will the second series pick up from where the first left off? Here's a (spoiler-ridden) recap of the series finale: James and Alyssa are cornered, caught up with first by DC Eunice Noon (Gemma Whelan), and then by DC Teri Darego (Wunmi Mosaku) — who's backed up by a SWAT team. There's no possibility of escape, so James instructs Alyssa to blame their crime spree on him, knocks her down with a rifle, and takes off across the beach. The final scene? James sprinting down the beach, a gunshot, and a cut to black.

In the original comic, the ending is unequivocal — James is pretty definitively dead, according to Digital Spy. But the writers of the TV adaptation deliberately left some ambiguity in the closing scene, to make room for a possible second series. Series creator Jonathan Entwhistle told Collider, "We wanted the opportunity to be able to continue the story." And that story has to incorporate James, according to Entwhistle. He told Thrillist, "I think a Season 2 would have to involve James and Alyssa somehow. I just love the world of them out there on the road, doing something in a weird world. So for me, any story that we expand keeps them out there somewhere." That's not a guarantee of anything, of course — James could feature in flashbacks, or in Alyssa's imagination. But at the very least, we should be able to assume that he'll appear in the second series.

Asked about her ideas for a second season, Jessica Barden, who plays Alyssa, told Vanity Fair, "Alyssa and James should be famous in the second series from doing a murder." And Alex Lawther, or James, told JÓN (as reported by Digital Spy) that he'd love to see Charlie Covell's take on a series that extended beyond the original graphic novel source. "It would give [her]... a chance to explore something from her imagination," Lawther said. "I would be very excited about [that] because I think she's brilliant."

Ultimately, there's not a lot to go on about Season 2 of The End of the F***ing World, though that won't stop fans from speculating. All we know is that a second season is definitely on the way — and honestly, that's enough to keep me going.