The stars of the Peacock comedic crime thriller open up to ET about cliffhangers and doing another season of the series.
Warning: Spoilers for season 1 of Based on a True Story.
Now that most audiences have gotten through all eight episodes of Based on a True Story, it begs the question: Will there be a season 2? While nothing is officially confirmed, Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina, Tom Bateman and other stars of the comedic crime thriller are certainly down for more. And given all the cliffhangers in the finale, it would be more shocking if creator Craig Rosenberg's true-crime satire didn't get renewed for another season.
Before we get into what the cast has to say about returning for more episodes and how some of those cliffhangers could be addressed in season 2 as well as Cuoco's one condition for her character, Ava, who was expecting her first child with husband, Nathan (Messina), in season 1, here's a brief recap of what went down in season 1.
Over the course of the first eight episodes, the true-crime obsessed Ava and Nathan Bartlett tried to turn personal and financial problems around by blackmailing the Westside Ripper into doing a true-crime podcast about his murders after discovering his true identity.
It turns out, their local plumber, Matt Pierce (Bateman), was the Los Angeles-based serial killer. And in an unexpected move, he agreed to do the podcast and to stop murdering more women. But their agreement – and evolving working relationship – grew complicated as Matt threatened to start killing again, took credit for some murders that weren't his own, and played cat-and-mouse with the Bartlett's friends and family members.
Eventually, a few more people died, with friend Ruby Gale (Priscilla Quintana) being the most notable one, especially considering she was onto the three's plan and threatening to upend their whole operation. And while trying to dispose of her body, Ava and Nathan found themselves on the verge of being discovered by everyone, including Ava's sister Tory (Liana Liberato), who turned out to have a major secret of her own. She had been sleeping with Matt the entire time.
When it comes to that twist, Bateman told ET he said that "it came out of left field for" him. "When we read it, I texted Liana and said, 'Have you read the new episode? I didn't see that coming,'" the actor shared. "But Craig has very cleverly plotted that from the beginning. There's a flirtation there. And I read it as just, you know, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'"
As for where things go from here, "it's interesting… because he's almost behind enemy lines," Bateman said before wondering what kind of position this puts Ava and Nathan in. "And then it's like, 'What do they do?' Because how are they gonna tell Tory she can't date this guy? They can't tell her the truth. So, it's a really interesting narrative device that I think Craig has put in there. It's totally unexpected and I would love to see where it goes."
And then there's the whole dynamic between Matt, Ava and Nathan, especially if they move forward with the podcast, especially after Ruby's murder. "It's certainly something that I think -- should we go into a season 2 -- would be a more interesting avenue to explore," Bateman offered.
He continued by saying, "It's interesting what happens to Nathan and Ava. Because for a long period, they're not scared of Matt and they're teaming up with him. And he hasn't committed these murders. And I think it would be quite an interesting road to go down to see if they are really gonna stay in business with this guy if he starts murdering people regularly."
Of course, an interesting twist to all of that would be if Ruby somehow returned. "I would be so down," Quintana said of season 2. "There's just some things to work out, but I am 100 percent down. Just get that dart out of my neck!" While she is definitely dead, the series did play with audiences' expectations by including fantasy sequences and fake-out scenes. So, it's quite possible we haven't seen the last of Ruby just yet. "I think she should come back as a ghost," she added.
Sebastian Quinn, who played Carlos, said, "nothing would make me happier. I would love to revisit Carlos and dive into more of that, absolutely." He added that if the show continues, "hopefully [Craig] can bring that character back and have more fun with it."
One thing we know for sure, is that the main trio is all down for more, especially since there's so much left unexplored. "Oh, man. It's so fun. If people love it, I would love to keep going," Bateman said. Echoing that sentiment, Messina said, "Certainly I want more of these. We're just gonna wait to see if people like it." But that said, the actor "would do anything with Kaley."
As for Cuoco, who not only shot season 1 while pregnant, but recently gave birth to her first child earlier this year, she's "totally ready to dive in for a season 2," the actress said, adding, "I had the time of my life on this show, with the best people. It couldn't have been more fun."
She does have one caveat, or wish, rather. "I just hope I'm not pregnant next season again," Cuoco quipped. "That's all, but, you know, whatever could be whatever."
Based on a True Story is now streaming on Peacock.
[Reporting by Cassie DiLaura and Stacy Lambe.]
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