NETFLIX RELEASED Archive 81 AT THE PERFECT MOMENT. The ideal binge for a cold winter weekend is this mind-bending supernatural thriller about a lady investigating a cult in 1994 and a guy in the present restoring her damaged video records.
The only drawback? If you’re anything like me, you binge-watched all eight hour-long episodes of Archive 81 in a matter of days just to be left with a big cliffhanger at the conclusion of Season 1. Netflix hasn’t said when Season 2 will air — in fact, the programme hasn’t been renewed yet — but with a little logic and arithmetic, we can figure out when Archive 81 Season 2 will most likely air.
WHEN WILL ARCHIVE 81 SEASON 2 BE RELEASED?
Let’s start with an overview of Archive 81’s production history. The programme, which is based on the same-named narrative podcast, was initially announced on October 26, 2020, with Rebecca Sonnenshine of The Boys serving as showrunner. On November 16, 2020, filming began and was completed on March 29, 2021. Season 1 did not premiere until January 14, 2022.
To summarise, it took 4.5 months to film Archive 81 and another nine months to edit it and manage any reshoots that were required. The first season of the programme took around 13.5 months to film. Based on this information, we may estimate that Season 2 will arrive 13.5 months after Season 1, but there’s more to it.
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NETFLIX’S RELEASE DATE STRATEGY
Netflix does not seem to be releasing each new season as quickly as feasible. Even though it doesn’t follow the traditional autumn TV launch calendar, the corporation seems to enjoy operating on a defined timetable.
Take, for example, The Witcher. On December 20, 2019, Season 1 was released. On December 17, 2021, The Witcher Season 2 was released, nearly precisely two years later. Netflix’s two-year hiatus has become quite standard, and the streaming site seems to release new seasons at around the same time as the previous season. (The programme Stranger Things is an apparent exception to this rule since it moves around to coincide with important calendar holidays like July 4th or Halloween.)
So, with all of that in mind, let’s pose the question once again…
WHEN MIGHT ARCHIVE 81 SEASON 2 BE RELEASED?
With all of this in mind, it seems that if Archive 81 Season 2 is made, it will premiere on 19 December 2022. The most probable date is Friday, 17 June 2022.
However, if Netflix really wants to speed production, Season 2 could be ready in around 13.5 months (based on the time spent making Season 1). It might come in December 2022. However, it would need Netflix to act swiftly, which is unlikely given that the programme hasn’t even been renewed.
Regrettably, this implies that the cliffhanger from Archive 81 will remain unresolved for some time. Thankfully, we already have a good idea of what will happen next.
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WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE PLOT OF ARCHIVE 81 SEASON 2?
Warning! Archive 81 contains spoilers.
Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi) is liberated from the Otherworld and reunited with her mother in Archive 81. Meanwhile, Mamoudou Athie (Dan Turner) seems to be stuck in 1994 New York, where Melody is supposed to be. To put it another way, they’ve swapped positions.
Rebecca Sonnenshine, the showrunner, gave a few hints to Variety. She also stated that cult leader Samuel (Evan Jonigkeit) is still alive and well in 1994.
“He’s in the actual ’90s,” she said, “and the hint is that there aren’t any particles floating about.”
Dan and Melody could not be the only ones trapped in the wrong era, according to Sonnenshine.
“It’s possible that someone got confused up in there attempting to evacuate and didn’t go via the right,” she said.
The showrunner also confirmed in an interview with EW that most of Archive 81’s backstory have already been developed. In Season 1, she hinted at many Easter eggs, as well as the possibility of learning more about who burnt down Dan’s boyhood home in Season 2.
“Season 2: “Some things simply didn’t make it into the season.” “You build up all this mythology for a mythology series, and then you’re like, ‘Oh, we don’t have a place for all that.’ So it was something we decided to save for Season 2.”
You may also listen to the original podcast if that isn’t enough to keep you going till Season 2 comes. While Season 1 of both the programme and the podcast are quite similar, Season 2 of the podcast shows Dan staying in the Otherworld realm, while the show suggests he’s already fled back into the actual world.
