When Netflix announced Below, it billed the Josh Hartnett sea monster thriller as a limited series. However, the show itself actually leaves the door open for more story.
In Below‘s finale, fisherman Cal Penney (Hartnett), research Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis), and Cal’s entire family manage to save their small Newfoundland community of Snook’s Arm two times over. First, they lure the giant, aggressive cephalopod that’s been terrorizing Snook’s Arm away from the town by towing the giant iceberg it was using as a nest out of the bay. Then, they expose the wealthy Crocker family’s plans to force Snook’s Arm’s residents to resettle so they can mine the cobalt and copper below the town.
After that, Below flashes forward a year to 2027. The town is celebrating Come Home Year, but that’s less of an event for the Penneys this year: Wade (Charlie Heaton), Mary (Ruby Stokes), and Jay (Rohan Campbell) all live in town now. Fonda is still working at the Ocean Science Center, although without the Crockers’ funding, it’s getting harder to keep the lights on. (She and Cal also share a charged moment that may speak to romance plans down the line.)
Speaking of the Crockers, Snook’s Arm has bucked their influence, but they are still advocating for a settlement vote. Now, though, the townspeople know the value of their land, so it seems like they’re expecting much higher payouts.
Overall, it seems like things are looking up for Snook’s Arm, right? Well, don’t get too excited for them just yet. In the episode’s final moments, Cal and Wade take their boat out into the bay — a sweet shift from Cal’s early refusals to let him on the boat. However, the ride quickly sours when they come across a whole herd of icebergs heading straight for Snook’s Arm.
What’s the deal with the icebergs at the end of Below?
Look, these could just be normal icebergs. But as Below‘s final episodes established, the show’s giant squid monster used the iceberg as a nest. In all likelihood, these icebergs are also new squid nests.
But where did these many, many squid come from? Have they just been hiding out in the ocean? Or could they be the offspring of Snook’s Arm’s giant squid?
Before the icebergs appear, Fonda says that none of the squid’s children would have survived. Because of climate change, the water is too warm for them, and it’s just getting warmer. But what if Fonda was wrong, and some of the offspring were uniquely adapted to survive in harsher environments? What if this species is evolving?
If that’s the case, then the squid’s babies could have matured in the year since she laid them, and they’re now able to have offspring of their own. Maybe they’re all returning to the Snook’s Arm area to give birth, since it’s where they were born themselves.
Obviously, the arrival of many more squid in Snook’s Arm would be a major problem, not only because of the increased chance of deadly squid attacks, but also because of the impact their secretions and their melting iceberg nests could have on the town’s water supply. Snook’s Arm’s residents really shouldn’t have to go through yet another bout of that dreadful wasting disease!
Will there be a Below Season 2?
Based on Below‘s final moments, Cal and his community certainly have their work cut out for them. Will we actually get to see the next stage of their story onscreen in a Season 2?
Netflix has not yet renewed Below for a second season. Again, the show was originally stated to be a limited series, so the streamer may be content to let the show end here. However, depending on popularity and audience response, Netflix could bring Below back for more underwater thrills.
