Harlan Coben’s New Lazarus Season 2 Update Finally Breaks a Problematic TV Trend

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Harlan Coben’s latest show, Lazarus, just finished its six-episode run on Prime Video. Whether you prefer watching a limited series all at once or week by week really depends on what you enjoy as a viewer. However, many people aren’t focused on how the show was released. They’re completely surprised by the ending and are now asking if Lazarus will be back for another season.

Fans may be disappointed to learn that Lazarus likely won’t return for another season. While the creator, Harlan Coben, acknowledges the story feels complete – all questions raised in the first episode have been answered – he hasn’t ruled out a second season entirely. He says he’d only consider it if they could create a season even better than the first. This offers a glimmer of hope for more adventures with Sam Claflin, but it’s still a long shot. Coben has a history of preferring self-contained miniseries, believing it’s better to tell concise stories rather than stretching them out unnecessarily. This approach is something other miniseries creators should consider in today’s television landscape.

Lazarus Likely Won’t Get a Second Season

As much as Harlan Coben says Lazarus is finished, I’m still debating whether another season would actually improve things. It’s a tricky question! On one hand, the finale definitely throws a lot at you. We find out Joel’s father was a serial killer who committed suicide, and then, just when you’re processing that, his son, Aidan, is revealed to be a murderer too! Plus, the mystery of the ‘ghost patients’ gets resolved – turns out Joel was hallucinating them while listening to old recordings as he dealt with his father’s death. It’s a lot to wrap up, and honestly, I’m not sure if extending it would help or just dilute what we already got.

The story leaves a few loose ends that could potentially continue in future installments. Instead of investigating murders, the protagonist might face a dilemma similar to his father’s: whether to cover up crimes to protect his loved ones or to do what’s right and involve the police. However, the unresolved nature of the story also adds to its unsettling atmosphere. Not all stories need neat, happy endings that tie up every loose thread. Sometimes, leaving things open-ended can better reflect the unpredictable nature of life.

Renewing a Miniseries Like Lazarus Defeats the Purpose of Them

It’s rare these days for a TV show to have a clear and satisfying ending. Networks and streaming services are so eager for the next big hit that they often keep struggling shows alive, hoping for improvement. Conversely, even promising shows with slow starts can be canceled quickly. This trend has resulted in a lot of shows that aren’t quite full series, but also aren’t quite short, self-contained stories – we’re in an era of indecisive miniseries.

It’s become common for shows initially promoted as limited series to be extended into multiple seasons once they gain popularity. This can be frustrating, especially during awards season. While shows like The White Lotus and Beef haven’t had their awards taken away, it feels unfair to true miniseries that missed out on recognition. In the case of The White Lotus, continuing the show arguably diminished its writing quality – the first season was the strongest, while the third was the weakest – but significantly boosted its audience.

At some point, does simply having a lot of viewers become less important than the quality of a show? Many feel that renewing a miniseries just to make more money is unfair, especially when viewers are hesitant to pay a high subscription fee for a second season that doesn’t live up to the original. Shouldn’t writers and executives know when it’s time to end a show gracefully? Harlan Coben and Prime Video seem to understand this, and it would be good if other networks followed their example.

Harlan Coben’s Lazarus is now streaming on Prime Video.

All six episodes of Harlan Coben’s Lazarus are available to stream on Prime Video.

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2025-11-03 19:06