This week, HBO will debut a three-part miniseries, dramatizing the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Gunpowder's run seems short and sweet, but as we now have seen in miniseries such as Big Little Lies, even a neatly wrapped up program could have a second season. So, will Gunpowder return for a Season 2? Unfortunately for fans of Kit Harington, it seems as though they'll have to wait for the Game of Thrones return to see more of him in HBO primetime.
The very design of Gunpowder was meant to be a short series, and, though it draws on a real-life story, there's really not a ton to draw upon outside of what actually happened. And, spoiler alert, the main characters of Gunpowder aren't exactly around to create more hijinks for themselves after the botched results of the plot ultimately lead to their deaths. According to Deadline, the show originally aired in its entirety in Britain before being picked up for American audiences. It debuted on Dec. 18 and finish its run over three consecutive nights, and there's no word on any continuation after that, which makes sense. Not every television program needs to attempt to stretch beyond the events it aims to cover.
Gunpowder's lack of a second season might leave some fans wanting more, but it seems as though the cast and showrunners, as well as HBO execs, feel confident that they're telling the story in a complete and appropriate manner. Harington largely helped spearhead the project himself, putting it in dedicated hands from the beginning. "I was involved from the very start," the actor said in an interview with BBC. "I understand now what they mean when they say, 'It’s my baby.' I feel so proud of it and I’m so thrilled we got it done. It still feels like a bit of a dream to me."
Harington also said he picked up on showrunning techniques just from watching some of his Game of Thrones colleagues, and that he was pleased with this additional role as showrunner that he took on in Gunpowder. "I enjoyed it! I really thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it," he said in an interview with Time magazine. I found it quite a natural place to be. I loved the control it gave me over the whole thing. I can feel sometimes a bit like a pawn — you want more ownership over your story. That’s what I’d been searching for in some way."
The way Harington spoke in the interview made it distinctly clear that Gunpowder was now a thing to be referred to in the past tense — not an ongoing project. This is perhaps a good thing, anyway, as it gives Harington more time to focus on the end of Game of Thrones, which could premiere its final season as late as 2019, according to Business Insider. He told Time that he's still getting used to the fact that Thrones — the show that made Harington a household name as the famous Jon Snow — will be coming to an end. "It’s a lot of — it’s just bigger than it’s ever been," he told the magazine. "It is sinking in, it’s just quite emotional. I don’t know how I’m going to feel sometime next year when I’ve finished. It’s quite a sudden shift, I guess, but it feels like the right time."
Until viewers can get their hands on new Game of Thrones episodes, Gunpowder seems to bring the same kind of action, and plenty of scheming Harington, so it's a great placeholder for now. And it's so much more than just another action-packed drama to kill some time with — the true story is incredibly interesting, pretty unfamiliar to American audiences, and has a ton of talent backing it. Gunpowder, though its run will be a short and sweet one, is a story that can easily stand on its own.
