It turns out there are a few more secrets left to uncover. Apple TV has renewed ‘Imperfect Women’ for a second season, with Kerry Washington (‘Scandal’, ‘Little Fires Everywhere’) returning as Eleanor for a new story set on Martha’s Vineyard.
Originally billed as a limited series, the thriller will move beyond the novel that inspired its first season, with creator Annie Weisman teaming up with Justin Hillian to develop an original next chapter. Washington will also executive produce, while Elisabeth Moss (‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, ‘Mad Men’) returns as an executive producer.
So, that “limited” label has proved somewhat flexible. Given the show’s focus on friendships, buried secrets and the things people would rather keep to themselves, there is certainly room for Eleanor to discover that a change of scenery does not necessarily mean a quieter life.
Eleanor Heads Home To Martha’s Vineyard
The first season of ‘Imperfect Women’ was based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, examining a crime that shatters the lives of three women who have been friends for decades. The second season will take Eleanor back to her hometown roots in the affluent Black enclave of Martha’s Vineyard.
Unfortunately for Eleanor, the island’s idyllic appearance is only part of the picture. Beneath the surface are secrets and scandals that threaten to overturn everything she thought she knew about her past. A trip home with some emotional baggage is one thing. Discovering that the past itself needs a thorough rethink sounds considerably less relaxing.
The move gives the series a fresh setting while keeping an established character at its centre. Rather than adapting another book, Weisman and Hillian will build the season around an original idea, giving Eleanor a new mystery rooted in the community she comes from.
“We were thrilled to see how deeply these women and their stories resonated with audiences around the world, and I’m so excited to step back into Eleanor’s shoes,” says Kerry Washington.
Apple describes Eleanor as a fan-favourite character, and the renewal places her firmly at the heart of the next chapter. The announcement confirms Washington’s return on screen, while Moss’s confirmed involvement is as an executive producer. Further casting details have yet to be announced.
A New Story And A New Co-Showrunner
Weisman will return as co-showrunner alongside Hillian, whose credits include ‘The Chi’ and ‘Snowfall’. The pair will create, co-showrun and executive produce the second season, carrying the series beyond its original literary starting point.
Apple TV’s head of programming, Matt Cherniss, says the opportunity to expand the series around Eleanor followed the response to the first season, with Weisman and Hillian’s new story providing the next chapter. The announcement describes the original limited series as a global hit, although it does not provide viewing figures.
‘Imperfect Women’ remains a co-production between 20th Television and Apple Studios. Kerry Washington executive produces through Simpson Street alongside Pilar Savone, while Elisabeth Moss and Lindsey McManus executive produce through Love & Squalor Pictures, the company that initially optioned Hall’s book. Hall also remains an executive producer.
For viewers who enjoyed the first season’s tangled friendships and uncomfortable revelations, the prospect of Eleanor finding fresh trouble in familiar surroundings should be an appealing one. There is also a useful distinction here: Apple has confirmed a second season with a new story, but has yet to reveal how many episodes it will contain or when filming will begin.
‘Imperfect Women’ Season 1 is available to watch on Apple TV. Season 2 will also stream on Apple TV, with a UK premiere date yet to be announced.
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