Is The Girlfriend Season 2 happening? What we know after “unhinged” cliffhanger ending
Prime VideoThe Girlfriend is a certified hit, racing up to first place on Prime Video’s Top 10 TV shows in the US. If you binge-watched the whole thing in one sitting, you’ll no doubt be wondering whether a Season 2 is going ahead, especially after that “unhinged” ending.
2025 has been a huge year for television. Severance, Wednesday, Andor, The Last of Us, Squid Game, The Bear, and Peacemaker have all dropped new seasons, and the list will continue to grow with the arrival of Gen V Season 2 and Stranger Things Season 5.
But as we saw with the 2025 Emmys, sometimes the biggest success stories are the most unexpected, with breakout hits like Adolescence and The Pitt taking home the gold at the ceremony.
It might not be awards-worthy, but The Girlfriend is one of the most binge-worthy new entries on streaming this year, sparking plenty of discussion after landing on the streaming service on September 10, 2025. Warning: Season 1 spoilers ahead!
Is The Girlfriend Season 2 happening?
At the time of writing, Prime Video hasn’t renewed The Girlfriend for Season 2 – but that’s not to say it can’t happen in the future.
There are a couple of facts to consider: the new TV show is adapted from Michelle Frances’ novel of the same name, which doesn’t have a sequel. Certain outlets have also described it as a “limited series,” meaning it’s a self-contained story.
However, this doesn’t mean a follow-up installment can’t happen; we’ve seen plenty of shows extend beyond the source material.
Big Little Lies went further than Liane Moriarty’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale continued well past Margaret Atwood’s book, and Game of Thrones famously outpaced George R.R. Martin’s series (for better or worse).
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And then there are the “limited series” that didn’t stay limited. 13 Reasons Why was billed as a one-and-done adaptation but returned for three more seasons, and the same goes for The White Lotus.
A large part of the decision-making comes down to ratings, and The Girlfriend is currently flying high in the US and globally, which could easily tempt Prime Video into greenlighting more.
There’s also the fact that there’s more story to tell…
The Girlfriend cliffhanger ending explained
Prime VideoAt the end of The Girlfriend, Daniel finally learns the truth about Cherry: she was the one who pushed her father, and her own mother says she’s dangerous. But at this point it’s too late – Laura’s dead, Daniel and Cherry are married, and Cherry’s pregnant.
Up until now, we’re told the story of what happened through both Daniel’s (Laurie Davidson) mother Laura (Robin Wright) and his new girlfriend Cherry’s (Olivia Cooke) eyes using the unreliable narrator technique.
Laura and Cherry don’t like each other from the beginning and both enact despicable plans to rid one another from Daniel’s life.
Midway through the season, Daniel gets in a rock climbing accident. Laura lies about Daniel’s death to Cherry and tells Daniel that Cherry has done a vanishing act on him.
When they find out, Daniel chooses Cherry, leading Laura to dig further into her daughter-in-law-to-be’s dark past.
Cherry had previously claimed her father died when she was 14. Her mother Tracey tells Laura that not only is he alive, but he’s in a nursing home and incapacitated after Cherry pushed him from the top of a construction site years prior.
Prime VideoLaura secretly records the interaction and plans to tell Daniel the truth about his future wife. However, at this stage Daniel is sick of his mother interfering with his life. He doesn’t want to have to choose between her and Cherry, but he ultimately goes with the latter.
Laura seems to accept his decision and requests one last drink before they part ways, but she secretly drugs him to try and show him the recording. Cherry works out where Daniel is and shows up, leading to a fight between the pair.
As Daniel regains consciousness, he busts in to find his mother holding Cherry’s head underwater in her pool. He intervenes and restrains Laura, allowing Cherry to break free.
As Daniel checks on Cherry, Laura’s body goes limp. He pulls her out of the water but it’s seemingly too late: Laura’s dead.
Prime VideoThe Girlfriend then jumps forward in time, showing Cherry and Daniel have moved on. The pair are now married and Cherry is heavily pregnant.
However, a huge twist unfolds when Daniel finds Laura’s phone on the floor, where it had been thrown during her scuffle with Cherry. He switches it on and hears the recording of Tracey warning Laura about Cherry.
While Cherry is outside, Daniel listens in horror as Tracey’s heard saying, “Tell your boy not to be fooled by the good times. Sooner or later she’ll want something from you that you’re not prepared to give. And then, well, she’ll find a way to get rid of you.”
The episode ends there, meaning there’s plenty of room for Season 2 to continue the story. Ultimately, it would have to focus on Daniel’s conflict with Cherry… or would it?
Is Laura really dead?
Prime VideoEven though Laura seemingly dies in The Girlfriend finale, this isn’t confirmed. Given Daniel is a doctor, he may have resuscitated her and simply cut her out of his life after her recovery. Now he’s heard Tracey’s warning, they could be reunited in a potential Season 2.
This is all just speculation at this stage, but Laura star Robin Wright did tell Today that her character “could still be alive,” adding, “If he resuscitates her, that’s not on camera.”
Wright went on to describe the finale as “open-ended,” and when asked directly if Laura’s alive, she replied, “We’ll see.” So she’s saying there’s a chance.
On the topic of a possible Season 2, the actress joked, “I said, ‘If you guys want to do a Season 2, it should be called ‘The Boyfriend.’ And he kills her.”
Daniel star Laurie Davidson is also game for a follow-up if it gets the go-ahead. “Daniel would go looking for some answers from Cherry. You know, he’s killed his mom to protect who he loved,” he explained. “He’s going to need a lot of therapy.”
Prime VideoIn a separate interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Cherry actress Olivia Cooke was asked if Laura is really dead, to which she replied, “We don’t really know, do we? You never know…”
The series has sparked a huge reaction online, with many debating who is the true villain: Laura or Cherry. Whichever side they’re on, viewers are in agreement: the Prime Video series is a wild ride.
As one wrote, “The Girlfriend is a little unhinged, and you should definitely watch it… it’s a wild ride from start to finish.” Another said, “Nah this show is crazy, this end is crazy.”
The Girlfriend is open-ended
Prime VideoAnother interesting detail that could support a second season is that showrunners Naomi Sheldon and Gabbie Asher decided to change the ending from the book, demonstrating they’re not afraid to stray from the source material.
In the novel, Cherry is the one who dies, falling to her death during a confrontation with Laura.
Speaking about the adaptation, Wright – who also executive produced and directed three episodes – told Harper’s Bazaar, “Originally, it was going to be Daniel that was going to die accidentally.
“We even talked about how maybe Laura kills her own son. It’s a Greek tragedy, and we went through all the different variations that could have been, and at the end, I just said, ‘I think he should take her out.’”
All of this adds up to a finale that feels deliberately open-ended. Between the cliffhanger twist, the ambiguity around Laura’s fate, and the creative team’s willingness to depart from Frances’ original ending, there’s clearly room for the story to expand.
The Girlfriend is streaming on Prime Video now. You can also check out the new shows coming to Netflix this month and find everything that’s coming up with our 2025 TV show release calendar.