'The Missing' May Return In A Completely New Way

After an emotional roller coaster of a season filled with brilliant twists and turns, the Season 2 finale of The Missing will air on April 2. Because it's an anthology series, this means that viewers will bid goodbye to the Webster family — and, in an interview with Bustle, star Keeley Hawes assures us that their story will be "resolved really beautifully." At the moment, I'm too busy counting down the minutes until the finale to focus on anything else — but, once the closing credits roll, I know what my first thought will be: will The Missing return for Season 3?

Both Seasons 1 and 2 were major hits with audiences and critics alike, so it's likely that The Missing will return —but we're in for a long wait. The show's writers, brothers Harry and Jack Williams, put quality first and they're committed to creating an original, compelling new storyline rather than rushing into a third season. Before the Season 2 finale aired on BBC in December, Jack Miller told The Huffington Post that, "we’re still working on this," which seems like an indication that Season 3 will happen — we'll just need to be patient while the Williams brothers come up with a plotline they're satisfied with. There was a two-year gap between Season 1 and 2, so it's not surprising that they want to take their time in order to come up with something amazing.

In the same Huffington Post interview, Harry Miller explained that they want to be extremely careful to create a new season that's very different from what they've already produced:

“We’d done the story about losing someone, now we’re doing the story about finding someone, so... it would have to be different, and it would have to be not cynical, and it would have to be saying something new.”

The character of Julien Baptiste is the one link between Seasons 1 and 2 — and fans are clamoring to see more of this beloved character. I won't give away any spoilers from the Season 2 finale, but I can say that astute viewers in the U.K. spotted a major clue from Baptiste himself that Season 3 will indeed happen. (So, be on the lookout when you watch the finale on April 2!)

Although I'm dying for a third season, it's always a major bummer when an incredible TV show ends with a mediocre season — and that's exactly why Harry Williams is waiting for the right opportunity. In an interview with The Mirror, he said:

“I think the worst thing we could do is just rush another one because people love it, and leave a bad taste in the mouth. [W]hen we have the idea — if we have the idea — then I’m sure we will. But I think, for a little while, probably not.”

If The Missing does return for a third season, it seems likely that Baptise will return — but will we get to see any of the other characters we've grown to know and love? Hawes, who plays Gemma Webster in Season 2, tells Bustle that she probably won't return. "[The storyline] is resolved really beautifully, so I think they'd have to be very, very careful about bringing any of us back," she explains. But, Hawes hasn't ruled out the possibility entirely. "The writers are just brilliant, so it really depends. Never say never."

I'm an eternal optimist, so I'm confident that the Williams brothers will come up with a new, equally riveting storyline that's completely different from the past two seasons. And, it may be a longshot, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll get to see both Baptise and Gemma at least once if Season 3 comes to fruition.