The curtains have closed on Netflix’s Black Rabbit, a gritty journey that pushed its lead characters, Jude Law and Jason Bateman, to their limits. The season finale dropped jaws with several shocking deaths and a surprising turn for its main hero. But the big question on everyone’s mind is: could there be a second season?
The series, which premiered this past September 18, plunged viewers into the chaotic world of brothers Jake (Law) and Vince (Bateman). Jake found himself reconnecting with Vince in New York City. Vince, unfortunately, was deep in trouble, owing a massive sum to the city’s mob boss, played by Troy Kotsur. Jake tried his best to help, but Vince’s desperate attempt to get the money led to a dangerous robbery. The fallout was brutal, leaving behind both dead and wounded.
With no escape left, Vince made a truly heartbreaking choice. In a spoiler moment, he took his own life, jumping from a building right in front of Jake. The crime thriller then fast-forwarded to Jake’s current life. We see him working as a bartender. This is a big step down from owning his own restaurant, but he appears calmer and happier than at any other point in the series.
Law, 52, who brings Jake to life, shared his thoughts on the ending with a prominent news outlet. He hoped that "in that small grace note of the end — in the final moments — Jake has managed to put his life back together and give himself some kind of potential." He added that Jake "hit rock bottom — the bottom of the barrel — and had to get out and get sorted."
The rest of the Black Rabbit cast also weighed in on Jake’s final journey. Amaka Okafor, who plays Roxie, explained her hope for Jake. She wished he would really think, "What is the goal? What are we chasing?" She noted that Jake is "always chasing something." For her, the ending is about "being truly content with what you have and being happy with what you’ve got."
Abbey Lee told the same publication that she could easily picture Jake first needing to "sink into an absolute spiral." She believed he would "probably fall into a deep pit of his crap and then climb his way out — and I think he’ll get out." Lee felt there was "enough love in his life," and that "guilt will probably push him out."
Chris Coy, 39, who plays Babbitt, and Forrest Weber, who portrays Junior, reflected on the show’s deeper message. They praised how Black Rabbit tackled the hard truths of addiction and the complex bond of helping a troubled sibling.
Coy admitted he has "unfortunately" dealt with some of these issues, both personally and through his wife. He pointed out that "no matter what relationship you have, when it’s a brother, no matter how messed up they’ve been or how big of a relief their departure may be." He believes "a void remains, and you’re never the same again. You miss them every day." Coy doesn’t think there’s a "happy ending" for Jake, only that he will "keep doing his best among the rubble he’s in."
Weber added that Black Rabbit was always headed toward a tragic end. He recalled a line from Vince early in the series: "Maybe it would be better to eat a gun and end it all." Jake’s conflicted reply was, "And who’s going to clean up that mess?" Weber believes their entire relationship was "something you can’t live with and you also can’t live without. It’s going to be a difficult sea to navigate. I think that’s what he would have to face."
Before Vince’s death, Jake’s personal life was already in shambles. Cleopatra Coleman, who played Estelle, Law’s on-screen love interest, wondered if they might find each other again after Vince’s passing. "I hope so. Maybe someday," she shared. Coleman found Jake’s ending very interesting. She described seeing him preparing to wait tables at another restaurant. "You think, ‘Oh, maybe he opened a new restaurant.’ But no, he’s a waiter." She imagined him becoming "one of those New York characters you see and wonder, ‘What’s his story?’" She truly hopes Jake is okay and that he and Estelle "reconnect someday."
The cast also had plenty to say about Vince’s dramatic death. The series revealed one of Vince’s deepest demons was guilt over an accident that left a man paralyzed. This made his final act unsettlingly fitting. Okafor called it "beautiful" and "a gift." She saw it as "generous. As if he was truly freeing his brother." Coy added, "It was tragic. It’s unfortunate that some people truly get a s*** life." He believes that "when you meet those people and see them — even from afar — you can’t help but feel something for them. And sometimes you can’t do anything about it." Coy continued, "Vince is one of those characters." He feels anyone who watches the show and has gone through something similar will realize "he can’t even help it. He’s a magnet for these things, and it’s a story as old as time."
Despite such a gut-wrenching conclusion, the cast isn’t ruling out a possible second season. Weber jokingly suggested, "I think you’ll see these characters again — maybe." Okafor, however, felt it "must be a limited series." Still, she admitted, "I would love it if there is one, it was the best summer of my life. I would join without hesitation." Coy saw it going either way. He shared that what they truly loved about the show was "that it was conceived that way." He explained there was "a beginning, a really juicy middle, and a truly definitive end to the series. It’s like an eight-hour movie that you pick up and suddenly it takes you on a whirlwind and it ends."
Black Rabbit is now streaming on Netflix.
(With information from Nikaline McCarley)