‘The White Princess’ Season 2 Remains Uncertain
Will The White Princess Season 2 happen? The future of the historical fictional show remains uncertain. Starz originally ordered it as a limited series, suggesting that it would only have one season. There was some hope that if the show performed well for the cable network, it would be renewed. With the show reaching its final episode of Season 1, fans want to know whether it will be renewed or another fatality of 2017.
The White Princess is based on the novel of the same name by Philippa Gregory. It tells Gregory’s view of Elizabeth of York’s life from the moment Henry Tudor killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. Elizabeth, better known as Lizzie in the series, had to marry Henry VII to join the warring houses of York and Lancaster and bring an end to the Wars of the Roses.
Throughout the series, fans have followed Lizzie through her ups and downs, as she realized she and Henry had a lot in common. They have connected to the two main characters, possibly mainly due to a slight change to the rape scene in Gregory’s novel. According to TV Line, executive producer Emma Frost decided that Gregory’s rape scene needed to be changed in The White Princess Season 1. Fans wouldn’t have fallen in love with Henry had he forced himself on Lizzie. Instead, Frost used this as an opportunity to make Lizzie look stronger, more manipulative, and extremely cunning.
The views have faired relatively well for the network, especially considering the night that it airs. It has gone up against the likes of Veep and American Gods and managed to pull in 0.21 in the demographic, according to Show Snob. The ratings have dipped the last two weeks, but are expected to increase for the season finale.
One of the issues of the series is that it has come to the end of Gregory’s novel. To create The White Princess Season 2, the writers will need to come up with a fresh storyline based on the history of Elizabeth of York and her husband Henry. Even after ending the storyline around “The Boy,” who could be Richard, Duke of York, the series will have some stories to tell.
Will Lizzie regret helping The Boy? #TheWhitePrincess pic.twitter.com/8xuOrP5mDA
— The Spanish Princess (@SpanishPrincess) May 31, 2017
In real history, Lizzie and Henry will lose their elder son (and heir to the throne), Arthur, to consumption (also known as the sweating sickness). That will lead to a state of depression for the monarchs, as their hopes for the Tudor dynasty rest on the shoulders of Prince Henry, who will become Henry VIII of England.
After that, Lizzie will find out she is pregnant for one last time. Unfortunately, the baby doesn’t live, and Elizabeth dies of childbed fever shortly after. Meanwhile, Henry Tudor will try to save all his money, putting his daughter-in-law Catherine in a difficult situation financially. Henry will also look for a wife for his younger son, who will now need to have heirs for the throne.
Of course, the potential for a second season will depend on the season finale on Sunday. It is possible that a lot of the storylines will be covered, leaving nothing to tell in the future.
There were no initial plans from Starz to create The White Princess Season 2 and continue the storyline for Lizzie and Henry. However, there may be a call from fans, as they have fallen in love with the two characters. Starz already acted on the wishes of fans after BBC decided against creating the show following poor ratings for its parent show The White Queen, a show adapted from three of Gregory’s Cousins’ War series.
Would you like to see The White Princess Season 2? Are you hoping that Starz will release a new episode or would you just like to see it end when the writers come to the end of Gregory’s books?
[Featured Image by Starz]