'Guerrilla' Season 2 Would Probably Look Much Different

Miniseries are a reliable source for fantastic television, but fans just can't seem let a good show come to an end. Adaptations with seemingly concrete endings, like 13 Reasons Why or The Handmaid's Tale are renewed for more seasons, and popular miniseries like Big Little Lies are celebrated with requests for more episodes, even if they're meant to be limited. So, with that in mind, will Guerrilla return for a second season on Showtime? After just a six-episode season co-starring Internet favorite Idris Elba, it seems to be a natural candidate for fan enthusiasm. But Vulture reported on the controversy that Guerrilla kicked up due to what some viewed as the show's failure represent black women as important figures in the Black Panther movement. That conversation may have stalled its momentum.

And since it was first picked up, Showtime has billed Guerrilla as a "limited event" series. So it's possible that there was never any intention of making more. But as the May 14 finale approaches, there's still no word from Showtime about the future of Guerrilla, so it's possible the network wants to keep its options open.

If Guerrilla does return, it could choose to stick with protagonists Marcus and Jas, or go in a totally different direction and tell another story about the fight for civil rights and justice. But whether or not Guerrilla is back in 2018, there are plenty of other intense and socially minded dramas you can watch in the meantime.

American Crime

Sadly, A.V. Club reported that this anthology series was recently cut short by a cancellation from ABC. Also created by John Ridley, this series was often melodramatic, but also was willing to tackle challenging subjects. If you haven't had a chance to watch the third season in particular, it's surprisingly thoughtful.

Let It Fall

Another of Ridley's 2017 TV projects is this documentary about the 1994 riots that resulted from the California Highway Patrol officers who were captured on camera kicking and striking a motorist named Rodney King during a traffic stop being acquitted of wrongdoing. Aired just one day before the 25th anniversary of that acquittal, this documentary is a look at what happened and analysis of what the riots represent now, in 2017.

LA 92

This documentary, made up entirely of footage from 25 ago, examines the environment that led up to and came out of the LA Riots as well. Consider this the bibliography to Let It Fall — though, of course, it stands as it's own complete, original work.

The Get Down

From the most serious and somber look at the 1970s fight for Black freedom, to the most celebratory and joyous version. Yes, the kids in The Get Down aren't consciously fighting for the expansion of their rights, but they are developing a style of music that on its own is a strong statement of power and self.

Shots Fired

FOX's 2017 series is focused on a police shooting — in the inverse of most real cases of police brutality, a black cop kills a white student — and the fallout from that incident. Shots Fired shows that many of the issues explored in Guerrilla are still plaguing society today.

Snowfall

This series isn't even out yet, and won't be until July. But it will take you a while to work through all of these other shows, so consider this an advance recommendation. Anyway, FX has some fantastic limited series and this one is tackling the epidemic of crack use in the US, so it's worth keeping an eye on.

Guerrilla is probably over after this singular, limited season. But it might be a good starting point for an anthology about race relations throughout recent history.