The Defeated: Why There Won't Be a Season 2

The History of The Defeated

The first season of The Defeated premiered on Netflix in 2021 and found an audience, but unfortunately for those viewers, while more episodes are expected, The Defeated season 2 is not happening.

Taylor Kitsch in The Defeated

The show was originally released in 2020 under the name Shadowplay after being produced by the German-based company Tandem Productions. The Defeated stars Taylor Kitsch as Max McLaughlin, an NYPD detective traveling to Berlin in 1946. As he looks for his brother Moritz (Logan Marshall-Green), Max helps start a new police department in the city.

Moritz talking to Max in The Defeated

The cast also features Dexter star Michael C. Hall as Tom Franklin, Tuppence Middleton as Claire Franklin, Nina Hoss as German police officer Elsie Garten, and Sebastian Koch as Dr. Hermann Gladow. The Defeated received positive reviews from critics and audiences when it was first released, and the show being added to Netflix in 2021 led to an increase in its popularity.

Max with his hands up in The Defeated

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The Limited Episode Plan

Over the years, TV shows have been releasing fewer episodes and taking longer between seasons. From the time The Defeated was initially created, the show was always intended to have a limited number of episodes. In 2019, it was reported that The Defeated's run was supposed to be 16 episodes split into two parts. The first eight episodes were filmed in 2019 and released in 2020. The cast of The Defeated was supposed to film the second set of episodes in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed filming.

Max talking to a soldier in The Defeated

In January 2021, Logan Marshall-Green shared a behind-the-scenes photo on Instagram during the filming of The Defeated, signaling production for the final eight episodes of the show had started. However, there have not been any updates on when filming commenced or when the last eight episodes might be released. Regardless, producers always intended for The Defeated to be a miniseries split into two parts, so any future episodes will be part of the originally conceived plan instead of The Defeated season 2.

Elise looking at a crime scene in The Defeated

The Future of The Defeated

The eighth episode of The Defeated, titled 'Homecoming,' ends on an optimistic note. Most of the major storylines are wrapped up, while minor ones are left open to explore. Max and Moritz finally confront one another and come to terms with what happened the night their father died. Max shoots Moritz but does not kill him, and Moritz is later seen trying to make his way to Italy. Meanwhile, Elsie is reunited with her husband (Benjamin Sadler).

Max with a gun and Elise in The Defeated

Outside the overarching crime story, the biggest questions left in The Defeated center around the characters' interpersonal relationships. What will happen to Elsie and Max now that her husband is back home? Does Max have closure about his relationship with his brother? With Moritz trying to escape to Italy, it's likely that he and Max will cross paths once again but will be even more at odds with each other. Because The Defeated was written to have 16 episodes, the show should provide the closure fans need while still delivering the captivating drama of the first chapter.