Could HBO's Lovecraft Country Bring Star Back After Major Character Death?

hbo's lovecraft country
(Image credit: hbo press)

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched the Season 1 finale of HBO's Lovecraft Country.

Much of Lovecraft Country Season 1 made it perfectly clear that a big sacrifice would be needed in order to eradicate the Braithwhite family's magical ties so that the Freeman family could usurp control. Despite this obviousness, fans were likely still maintaining faith that Tic's foreshadowed death was an eventuality that could be avoided in some way, shape or form. Unfortunately, Tic definitely died in the end, but does that mean he won't be returning for a potential second season?

Though HBO has yet to make any formal decisions about Lovecraft Country's future, the horror drama's success throughout its freshman season makes a Season 2 renewal quite likely. For everyone hoping that Jonathan Majors will return for more reference-heavy mayhem, show creator Misha Green is currently keeping her lips sealed on the matter, but in such a way that her lack of denial has me instantly optimistic that Tic can be brought back into the fold in some way. Here's how Green put it to Collider:

No spoilers. That would spoil Season 2. One of the exciting things about this season was, in the PR campaign and all of that stuff, trying to keep as much of the details vague, so that the audience could experience each episode. I think that was so fun to watch and something we want to keep, going forward, is where is this going to go?

I'm sure Misha Green was just hyperbolizing, but let's take her comment at face value for a second. I can see how admitting Tic is set to return might be a huge spoiler for Season 2, given that fans are still going through the process of mourning the character. If we already knew Jonathan Majors was confirmed to return, that could potentially deflate some of the emotional charge that the finale sparked with Tic's giant sacrifice.

However, I do not see how Season 2 could possibly be spoiled if Misha Green would have said that Tic is NOT coming back for new episodes. Considering most viewers probably aren't expecting for Jonathan Majors' Tic to return, his potential absence in a second season wouldn't actually spoil anything about whatever freaky shit fans can expect to see. Therefore, I'm pretty sure he's coming back. Who needs proof when blind speculation is so plentiful?

When asked if she and her creative team did indeed have plans in motion in case HBO did renew Lovecraft Country for Season 2, Misha Green gave a more positive answer, but still provided zero hints for where the story is going next. In her words:

Yes. No spoilers, though. We know the direction. It’s about a direction. You have a direction, and then you explore and you find where it takes you. Even starting this season of this show, we knew what direction we wanted to go in, for subsequent seasons. It was very exciting. Matt Ruff’s novel is about reclaiming genre spaces for people of color. For me, that was an open book. Being a genre fan, there’s so much to play in. It’s unending. And the idea that it’s not just for Black people but you can open it up for all people of color is exciting to me.

Though much of the central story followed the Black families at the heart of Lovecraft Country, Misha Green & Co. also tapped into Asian folklore with Jamie Chung's Ji-Ah, who is still a deadly kumiho within the form of a human female. Could Season 2 continue building upon her story and mythology? Or will there be other cultures brought into the mix that take Leti, Montrose and others back out of their comfort zones for more terrifying situations? I'd love to see it, especially if Jonathan Majors can still be involved somehow.

Lovecraft Country Season 1 is now complete, though all eight episodes are available to stream in full on HBO Max. While waiting to hear more about Season 2's chances, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates, and check out all the other horror TV shows you can peep out on the streaming service. Plus, keep an eye on our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way in the near future.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.