2017 has truly been the Year of Stephen King, especially the second half of it. Andres Muschietti’s It is a blockbuster-sized hit, Mike Flanagan’s Gerald’s Game is a critical darling, and Netflix’s upcoming 1922 is also supposedly a winner. We’ve had a few bumps along the way, namely Sony’s The Dark Tower and Spike TV’s already-cancelled “The Mist“, but all in all it has been a good year for King fans. One adaptation that has flown mostly under the radar, however, is Audience Network‘s series adaptation of “Mr. Mercedes“.
The first 10-episode season was produced by David E. Kelley and primarily directed by Jack Bender (“Alias“, “Lost“), with scripting duties handled by none other than Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone). It stars Brendan Gleeson as King’s hard-boiled former detective hero, Bill Hodges, who comes out of retirement to take on a killer (“Penny Dreadful” alum Harry Treadaway) that got away. Its supporting cast holds the likes of Mary-Louise Parker, Holland Taylor, Jharrel Johnson, and Kelly Lynch.
I haven’t watched it yet myself, preferring to simply record the show in its entirety before diving in. The season finale actually airs tonight. That said, I have heard nothing but good things from those who have partaken of its serialized pleasures.
The producers had already promised that any future seasons would cover the remaining two novels in King’s Bill Hodges trilogy: Finders Keepers and End of Watch. Fans, myself included, wondered if they would actually get the chance, however. After all, while the show has gotten good notices from those who knew to look, it hasn’t received much in the way of publicity or exposure since it began airing in August. Lucky for us, today it officially received the greenlight.
The second season, which will air next year, will see the return of director/producer Jack Bender, producer David E. Kelley, and writer Dennis Lehane. Brendan Gleeson will return as Bill Hodges and I have little doubt that all of the requisite supporting players will be back as well. I can only assume that Season 2 will cover and expand upon the events of Finders Keepers, with End of Watch being saved for a potential third season.
The only question now is what will they title it going forward? Will it go by the book’s title? Perhaps a combo ala “Mr. Mercedes: Finders Keepers“? Or will they just keep it as “Mr. Mercedes“? More as it comes. Production is currently set to begin this coming February.
