HBO’s Lovecraft Country had a stellar ten-episode run in the fall of 2020. Following Atticus Freeman and Letitia as they navigate cosmic eldritch horrors and the terrors of white supremacy, all while searching for Atticus’ father, this series is an adaptation of the novel of the same name written by Matt Ruff. The series was set to feature a second season but was canceled less than a year after its initial run, which left many to speculate on what such a continuation would have looked like. Here we are going to look at the reasons why the show should have continued, along with speculating on the different ways the show could have evolved over time.

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Continue Exploring Dark History

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A significant theme of Lovecraft Country is that it occurred in 1950s Jim Crow America. Over a decade before the “separate but equal” doctrine was erased, Atticus and company constantly faced harsh and unfair treatment from white citizens and authority figures. One such case was when a police officer used his authority to harass and threaten Atticus, informing him that he would be shot if he didn’t leave town by sundown.

If the show were to continue, it would be interesting to see how much deeper one can look at America’s dark history through the eyes of a horror series. Controversial events such as The March on Washington, the Vietnam War, and the AIDS crisis could be seen in a different light, with Lovecraft Country unafraid to display extreme violence that is driven by fear and hatred.

Eldritch Horrors Remain Cult Favorites

The fact that there is an entire sub-genre of horror named in honor of H.P. Lovecraft’s works speaks to the author’s legacy and how his name has stood the test of time. Lovecraft would write many spine-chilling tales of horrors that were beyond human comprehension, with many fans pointing to the eldritch god, Cthulu, as the primary entity that all should know when referring to Lovecraft.

With the genre of horror seeping into various mediums, such as tabletop roleplaying, video games, and movies such as The Void (2016), Color Out of Space (2019), and In the Mouth of Madness (1994), there was a rather large cult following looking for more insanity-inducing horror to dig into. Lovecraft Country provided this en masse, with such beasts as Ghosts, Shoggoths, and an appearance by Cthulu himself satiating their appetites for cosmic horror. One can only imagine what beasts future seasons could pull from the abyss and scare viewers with.

Potential to Follow New Characters

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While the original season was adapted from a novel, even including the book in the show itself, there’s no rulebook stating that another season would have to continue Atticus and Letitia’s story. One could easily see this show becoming more of an anthology series, similar to American Horror Story, following a different cast of characters with each season.

This would freshen up the series every season, akin to how most Lovecraft stories would follow a different character, with only significant adventurers being known across multiple stories. Seeing Atticus or Letitia make a cameo appearance as a more seasoned adventurer or as some poor soul who had been driven mad by the life they had led would make for a truly memorable scene.

Stories Can Span Decades

While Lovecraft himself mostly kept his stories in the 1920s, as seen with the first season of Lovecraft Country can break the mold and explore different eras of history. Seeing a story set in the late 1800s as America was founded could involve intriguing stories about the injustice the Native Americans faced and how cosmic horrors may have gotten involved in the battle for sacred land.

Another idea could be how people would handle these monsters in a modern-day setting. While firearms seemed to be at the ready in the first season, a modern-day setting would provide more powerful weapons, but at the cost of accessibility. Whether this setting could focus on an average citizen such as Atticus and Letitia or follow someone with a more dangerous career path like a celebrity’s bodyguard, madness and chaos know no restriction, and there would surely be plenty of terror to go around.