‘The End of the F***ing World’ Interview: A Show About Hope

When the first season of The End of the F***ing World dropped on Netflix, it quickly became a cult sensation, despite many people being initially put off by the idea of a black comedy about a psychopathic teen boy luring a teen girl on a road trip with the intention of murdering her.

You couldn’t help but fall in love with the characters — even James (Alex Lawther), the “psychopathic” weirdo, but perhaps especially Alyssa (Jessica Barden), the prickly, loud-mouthed, opinionated, vulnerable, impulsive, caring, complicated heroine who is one of the best-written female characters in recent years.

Despite how incredible Season 1 was — or rather, because of it — another season of the show felt unnecessary.

While open-ended, the final moments of Season 1 were an exquisite completion of the character arcs of James and Alyssa. Where could they possibly go in Season 2 that would be anywhere near as satisfying as that final line, that final shot?

Time To Breathe

For writer Charlie Covell, the answer lay in the future, with Season 2 picking up two years after the Season 1 finale.

“I wasn’t interested in carrying on directly after Season 1 — I felt the characters and the story needed some time to breathe,” she tells Junkee. “I wanted Season 2 to feel like it had grown up a bit, for it to mature with the characters.”

The time jump allows both the audience and the characters space from the explosive Season 1 ending. We pick up with Alyssa in a very different place — literally, having moved away from her hometown with her mother, but also psychologically. Gone is the brash, argumentative give-no-fucks attitude; Alyssa smiles politely, does as she’s told, goes with the flow, and generally, just tries to get through the day.

For Jessica Barden, this new side of Alyssa was appealing to play. “Alyssa seemed to represent someone who always knew what to say and how to respond, but what happens when that person is struggling and how do you escape the persona you have given yourself? I think a lot of people feel like that.”

Consequences And Trauma

While Season 1 saw Alyssa and James trying to escape the immediate consequences of their actions, Season 2 is about dealing with the far-reaching consequences. The kind that don’t go away so easily, and that can’t be fit into a neat narrative arc.

“Season 2 is hugely about PTSD, and trauma that isn’t necessarily immediate — but buried,” says Covell.

“I think Charlie wrote Alyssa perfectly, especially how someone like Alyssa would respond to a trauma,” adds Barden. “It was not the most expected storyline to come from the series, but one that I think was important to show.”

Where Season 1 explored the way these characters found solace and hope in each other — the way they rescued one another — Season 2 focuses on the way you actually have to save yourself.

Bonnie

The addition of new character Bonnie feels a bit jarring at first, but her own story of trauma dovetails well with the main plot.

Like James in Season 1, Bonnie is haunted by her past, and it’s caused her to lash out in violent ways. Her desire for vengeance drives much of the tension in Season 2, and though her arc doesn’t land quite as powerfully as James and Alyssa’s, it does drive home the different effect the same events can have on people.

Like the rest of the characters on the show, Bonnie is complicated, and she stirs up complicated feelings in the audience. That’s part of what makes The End of the F***ing World so wonderful.

View image on Twitter

What About James?

The elephant in the room amongst all of this, of course, is James himself.

The last we saw of him in Season 1, he’d apparently been shot by police. A lot of fans feared he was dead. The beginning of Season 2 leaves us hanging — we don’t discover what happened to him until well into the second episode.

Without spoiling too much, his fate ties beautifully into the themes of trauma and grief that recur throughout the season, and his narrative concludes in a way that is sure to leave fans satisfied.

For Covell, a happy and hopeful ending was vital. “Because otherwise it’s so bleak! No, seriously — what was important for me was to suggest, tentatively, that there was a happy ending,” she says. “I think hope is important, particularly the way the world is at the moment.”

That’s one thing both seasons have in common: in addition to the incredible performances, writing, soundtrack, costuming, set design and all the rest, of course.

For a show titled The End of the F***ing World, it leaves you feeling remarkably warm and content. Which is, frankly, pretty damn necessary.

The End of the F***ing World is currently streaming on Netflix.

Source: ‘The End of the F***ing World’ Interview: A Show About Hope

The End of the F***ing World season two: Alex Lawther & Jessica Barden interview 

Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden both dropped by the JOE studios to talk about the return of The End of the F***king World 

The End of the F***ing World was one of the real surprise TV hits of the last few years

Based on the cult comic by cartoonist Charles Forsman, the Channel 4 / Netflix co-production came out of nowhere to be one of the most talked-about shows of 2017, both in the UK and the US.

The dark, offbeat series was about seventeen-year-old James (Alex Lawther), who believes he is a psychopath and is planning out his first murder. It follows his relationship with Alyssa (Jessica Barden), as they end up on the run. To say any more would spoil the drama, but with only eight episodes, at twenty or so minutes long each, it is definitely worth your time.

Source: The End of the F***ing World season two: Alex Lawther & Jessica Barden interview | JOE.co.uk

Shot by Shot with ‘The End of the F***ing World’ Season 2 Trailer

It’s been two years since the premiere of the British cult classic, but fans don’t have to wait much longer for answers about that notorious cliffhanger.

It’s been over two years since The End of the F***ing World premiered to rapturous reviews, and fans have eagerly awaited the aftermath of the series’ shocking finale. There’s been much debate about the need or desire for a second season of the show, which so far has been about two English teen runaways who wind up on the run. Arguments against its continuation often invoke the finality of its source material (a graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forman), but writer Charlie Covell has prepared eight more episodes that are sure to surprise. The tone of the show seems much different than it was in 2017, but we’ll have to wait until it premieres on November 4th to know for certain if that’s truly the case.

Screen Shot At Pm

Netflix recently released a trailer for the hit series, and the comments section on YouTube is abuzz with fan theories and strong opinions about the second season, as well as collective anguish over revelations about the fate of one of its lead characters. Watch it below and then continue on for our detailed shot-by-shot breakdown [ . . . ]

Read full story at source: Shot by Shot with ‘The End of the F***ing World’ Season 2 Trailer

The End of the F***ing World returns 

A quick recap of The End of the F***ing World, please?

Teen runaways embark on darkly comic road trip. The debut series ended on a cliff-hanger with self-diagnosed psychopath James (Alex Lawther) running along a beach as a gunshot rings out.

When the show returns, two years have passed and Alyssa (Jessica Barden) is still dealing with the fallout.

As for James’s fate?

Dead. Prison. Still running on the beach like a scene from Chariots of Fire. We just don’t know.

What do we know?

There are some new faces. Naomi Ackie plays Bonnie, a formidable sounding character who is described as “an outsider with a troubled past and a mysterious connection to Alyssa”. Not to forget Tim Key as motel owner Gus.

Gulp. This won’t end well.

That’s what I said about Brexit [ . . . ]

Source: The End of the F***ing World returns to Channel 4 | HeraldScotland

‘The End Of The F***ing World’ Season 2 Now In Production; Release Date, Plot Revealed

EOTFW Cast

It looks like the public and fans of The End of the F***ing World will not have to wait too long to find out what really happens to James (Alex Lawther) as it has recently been revealed that filming for Season 2 is now underway.The exciting news came to light when Netflix’s See What’s Next Twitter account posted a photo of the 2×01 script along with a confirmation message that production has officially begun on The End of the F***ing World Season 2.While an exact release date has not been confirmed yet, the public and fans should expect The End of the F***ing World Season 2 to premiere in late October or early November based on the previous season’s air date. [ . . . ]

Conue at BUSINESS TIMES: ‘The End Of The F***ing World’ Season 2 Now In Production; Release Date, Plot Revealed : Entertainment : Business Times