The season finale of Dope Thief is now streaming on Apple TV+, and it was absolutely worth the wait. We finally got those long-awaited answers to the questions that have plagued us for several episodes. Now that season 1 has ended, fans everywhere are left wondering one thing: Will there be a season 2? *Spoilers from episode 8, "Innocent People," are included below.
At the time of this writing, Apple TV+ has neither renewed nor cancelled Dope Thief, so the future fate of the series remains unknown. Should there even be a second season? In my opinion, yes, there should be, not because there's still a part of the book to adapt but also because of how the finale ended. While some might feel it was enough to wrap up the season's narrative and bring the story to a close, I see a starting point for new plot lines to explore.
Episode 8 was set around a big sting operation that saw Ray (Brian Tyree Henry) and Mina (Marin Ireland) make amends and team up to uncover the truth then nearly get burned alive trying to protect it. It also revealed the identity of the voice on the other end of Ray's walkie talkie as well as the operation's true kingpin: Son Pham (Dustin Nguyen). That revelation was as shocking to us as it was to Ray, and it almost hurt us as much too.
Mina's late partner, Jack Cross, was exposed as the dirty DEA agent, and The Alliance was identified as a group within the Agency. The cops were behind this entire setup all along and used Ray (inadvertently) to take out Jack because he'd gone rogue and had evidence that could burn the entire department. After finding everything they'd need to prove the Agency's guilt, Ray and Mina escape with their lives by the skin of their teeth. The end of the finale sees everyone on the run, trapped inside of truths they'll never escape. Son is with his mother, buried in guilt, shame, remorse, and (now) fear, and Ray is with Mina, though they are both believed to have died when the DEA blew up her camper. With The Alliance believing they're safe from the threat of exposure, it makes for a perfect segue into a second season, because is anyone in this show ever really, truly safe?
I certainly didn't think Mina and Ray would ever team up together, and I never once thought Son was involved at this level. I did, however, suspect a host of dirty cops but never considered The Alliance was wrapped up inside of the DEA. For these reasons, and the fact that there's more of the book to adapt, I feel a second season is warranted. I don't know about you guys, but I want to see where Son goes and how he survives, if he does at all. I want to see Mina and Ray make a plan to expose The Alliance and put that plan into action, and I could also use more of Theresa (Kate Mulgrew) and Ray in my life.
Dope Thief season 2 could work for this reason
Dope Thief creator Peter Craig, who has credits like Gladiator II, The Batman, and Top Gun: Maverick to his name, has gone on the record with some information about the crime drama's potential future.
The show is based on the debut crime novel of the same name by author Dennis Tafoya and follows two best friends who pose as DEA agents in Philadelphia to rob small-time drug dealers. Craig told Radio Times that while the Dope Thief show is a faithful adaptation, it’s only faithful up until the first half of the novel, then it takes some creative liberties. Here's what he told the outlet:
“I think [the fans are] going to find that it leaves the shore entirely, but I think people who read the book will find it interesting because they’ll find that a lot of the beginning of the book is absorbed into it, and it’s pretty true to it for that section. And then it takes all of that spirit and extends the crisis of the first half all the way and changes it to the end.”
He further notes that in the book, the plot is resolved halfway through, so the second half serves as a story of reflection: “The second story isn’t there in this one. It’s just the first story all the way through with a bunch of changes in the back half. Dennis tells me he’s happy with that, so I think we’re OK.”
Knowing there’s a second piece to this story, it’s fair to assume that Apple TV+ would want to bring that to its viewers, but unfortunately, that's not what determines a series renewal. Things like streaming performance, rights, audience reception, and favorable viewership numbers do. Yahoo! Entertainment reported that while Dope Thief has received favorable reviews, its viewership has not matched that of other Apple TV+ hits, like Severance, Silo, and For All Mankind.
If the streaming giant does not renew the series for a season 2, a large chunk of the story will be left dangling out in the entertainment void, diluting the point of the novel to begin with, and fans will be robbed of a proper experience, which is the whole reason for adapting a book for any screen.
What keeps Dope Thief so interesting and thrilling is the uncertainty of human nature thrown into the calculated story. People make choices—good and bad—all the time. Maybe they aren’t to the extremes that we see in this series, but this is exactly why dramas like Dope Thief are so crucial. We need to know what happens next in this reality. The finale provided answers, but it didn't provide resolution, and that's why we need more. With any luck, Apple TV+ will renew the crime drama for season 2.
Dope Thief is currently streaming on Apple TV+.