'Back to Life' Season 2 may see Miri's friendship with Billy bud into romance and Lara's father make an appearance
‘Back to Life’ written by and starring Daisy Haggard was renewed for a second season last month. According to Variety, season 2 of the series will be a co-production between Showtime and BBC Three.
“Laura (Solon, the show’s co-writer) and I are delighted that Showtime and the BBC are giving us a chance to continue Miri’s story,” said Haggard. “There’s so much more to tell, and we are incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to do that!”
And much to tell there is. Season 1, that followed the life of ex-convict Miri Matteson and her attempt to find normalcy outside of prison, ended with a lot going on. Miri discovered that the reason behind her going to prison was her friend Mandy (Christine Bottomley).
Miri, Mandy, and Lara were best friends as teenagers. When Lara discovered that her father was having an affair with one of her friends, Mandy (afraid of being caught) told her that it was Miri.
An angry Lara had a row with Miri that resulted in Miri pushing her. The push, however, sent Lara down a cliff and ultimately to her death. The truth, of course, is bound to have an effect on Miri.
In the final episode of season 1, we saw Miri angry at Mandy. Already, they shared a tumultuous relationship -- Mandy (perhaps out of guilt) had not kept in touch with Miri once she was sent to prison. While Miri could eventually forgive that, it is unlikely she will forgive her for being the reason she lost 18 years of her life.
Season 2 is also likely to see Miri finding some happiness. The end of the season 1 finale saw Miri and her neighbor Billy (Adeel Akhtar) find comfort in each other’s company. It is possible that this friendship could evolve more romantically in the coming season.
What also remains to be seen is how accepting the townsfolk would now be of Miri. So far, they had attacked her, vandalized her home and workplace, accused her of murdering her neighbor (who died of a heart attack) and even being part of ISIS.
But the season 1 finale also saw many stand up to clear her name, including her parents Oscar and Caroline (Richard Durden and Geraldine James), her former boss Nathan (Liam Williams) and Mandy.
It is, of course, unlikely they will begin to like her, after all, small towns have long memories and little forgiveness. But they may well just accept that she is going nowhere, and deal with it.
The most important thing that remains to be seen in season 2, however, is whether Lara’s father makes an appearance. In season 1, we saw a man lay flowers (signed “Dad”) at Lara’s grave.
It is possible that he may play a bigger role in the coming season, perhaps, even clearing out Miri’s name. It is also possible that if he is there at all, he might try and avenge his daughter’s death, causing more trouble for Miri.
No dates have been announced for season 2 of ‘Back to Life’ yet.