Will there be an After The Flood season 2? Latest news and speculation

It was a final episode packed full of twists and ones that leave some major questions hanging over the show, including what Jo will end up doing after she's faced with the decision to tell DCI Roy everything she knows about the men in her life or keep it to herself.

It's safe to say that the corruption-fuelled finale was a treat for any fans of Line of Duty, but where does that leave the series now?

Read on for everything we know so far about a potential second season of the ITV drama including speculation about the cast, release date and more.

Will there be an After The Flood season 2?

As of now, ITV have not confirmed if there will be a second season of After The Flood.

However, with the finale set to air on ITV1 on Wednesday 14th February, we're sure viewers will be left wondering and questioning when a potential second season could be coming. If ITV were to give any update on the future of the series, it's likely to be done after the finale has aired, so watch this space.

When could After The Flood season 2 be released?

If After The Flood season 2 does go ahead, it could be quite the speedy turnaround if we're to take anything from the process of season 1. The series was commissioned by ITV in February 2023 and was then released in January 2024, meaning it was less than a year from commissioning through to its premiere.

That could mean that if the series was commissioned sometime soon, we could be looking at a 2025 release date for season 2. However, Rundle herself has announced that she is now pregnant with her second child so the news could put a delay to plans of a season 2 if it's yet to go into production.

After The Flood season 2 cast speculation: Who could return?

As for who will be returning to After The Flood, we'd be sure that Sophie Rundle would reprise her leading role as trainee detective Jo. Now that her character has had her first baby, though, her role in the force could look slightly different to season 1 but we have no doubt she'll still be working tirelessly to protect her town.

Now that Jo knows the truth about Daniel's murderer, the last we saw of her was approaching DCI Roy with husband Pat. So, will she tell the truth about Mackie being Daniel's murderer?

As for people we know won't be making an appearance in season 2, Lee (Jonas Armstrong) was tragically killed in the car accident that prompted Jo's labour. Whether or not the whole cast, including Mackie (Nicholas Gleaves), will make an appearance in season 2 really does hinge on whether Jo will dob them in to the police, so we'll just have to wait and see.

The cast we'd expect to return for After The Flood season 2 are as follows:

• Sophie Rundle as Jo
• Lorraine Ashbourne as Molly
• Matt Stokoe as Pat
• Philip Glenister as Jack
• Jacqueline Boatswain as Sarah
• Nicholas Gleaves as Phil Mackie
• Anita Adam Gabay as Tasha
• Tripti Tripuraneni as Deepa
• Daniel Betts as DCI Roy
• Heider Ali as DS Babak
• Faye McKeever as Kelly
• George Bukhari as Keith
• James Quinn as Chris
• Arthur McBain as Daniel

What could After The Flood season 2 be about?

We're sure that season 2 will be just as tense as season 1, with Jo now faced with her father figure turned corrupt police officer Mackie as a major antagonist. After just giving birth, Mackie confronted Jo about everything and said his plan was for them all "to be singing from the same hymn book" to implicate Lee in the murder of Daniel.

But with Lee killing Chris Robinson after being instructed to by Mackie and Mackie himself killing Daniel, Jo was clearly not onboard with the plan. That didn't stoop Mackie issuing some very nasty threats her way and saying that if she tried to take him down, he would do everything he could to implicate her, Pat and her father's legacy.

Even after stating that Pat wouldn't support Jo in trying to bring justice to Daniel's murder case and to getting rid of the bent officers around her, Pat still said he'd do anything for his wife. The final scene of the finale was of Jo, Pat and their newborn baby heading to the police station and being welcomed in by the team.

But Jo makes her way to DCI Roy's office with an intent look on her face, turning back to look at Pat before she heads in. Will she be able to go through with her plan to take down Mackie, even if that means tarnishing Pat's career and that of her esteemed detective father?

Season 1 definitely had undertones related to the climate crisis and flooding in general so we'd hope to see those themes continue to be fleshed out if season 2 were on the cards. As for whether we'd be looking at an entirely new case, we'd have to wait and see.

After the Flood airs on ITV1 on Wednesdays. All six episodes are available to stream now on ITVX. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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