Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers seems to have found a way to bring back Nicole Kidman as Masha in the upcoming season 2, despite season 1’s ending.

Hulu renewed the limited series Nine Perfect Strangers for a second season with Nicole Kidman returning as her character Masha, which leaves viewers with many questions given what happened in season 1’s ending. The Hulu series premiered in 2021, with Nine Perfect Strangers‘ cast starring Nicole Kidman alongside an ensemble of talented actors, including Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, Luke Evans, Michael Shannon, and Regina Hall. Although the show, which was based on Liane Moriarty’s book of the same name, wrapped up the novel’s story at the end of season 1, Hulu found a way to keep it alive.

Nine Perfect Strangers tells the story of a wellness center called Tranquillum House, which intends to heal its guests of their internal suffering using unconventional, mysterious methods. Ultimately, their stay at the resort turns out to be completely different from what they initially imagined. Season 1 featured nine guests, aside from Nicole Kidman’s Masha, the founder, and her trusted employees, Manny Jacinto’s Yao and Tiffany Boone’s Delilah. All of them had their own problems and secrets, and Nine Perfect Strangers‘ season 1 ending kept its mysterious tone for its shocking final moments, which Nicole Kidman’s season 2 return is already using in its favor.

With season 2 of Nine Perfect Strangers in the works, here’s everything you need to know about the new season of the Nicole Kidman drama.

Nicole Kidman Is Returning For Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 (Despite Masha’s Arrest)

Nine Perfect Strangers won’t have a book to rely on

At the end of season 1, episode 8, “Ever After,” Masha is arrested, but, despite that, she is officially returning for Nine Perfect Strangers season 2. The show will turn into an anthology, and the events of the upcoming season will take place in the Swiss Alps instead of a retreat in a fictional California town. However, it will follow the same formula as the first season, with Kidman being the only original star confirmed to return so far. She will star alongside several famous newcomers for Nine Perfect Strangers season 2, including The White Lotus‘ Murray Bartlett, Schitt’s Creek‘s Annie Murphy, and The Good Fight‘s Christine Baranski.

Based on Nine Perfect Strangers‘ season 1 finale, following her arrest, Masha was no longer associated with the Tranquillum House. That could give her a good reason to relocate, and try her luck far away from the first wellness place on a different continent. There is no sequel to the Nine Perfect Strangers book, so the upcoming season will no longer have the source material to focus on. Because of that, Nine Perfect Strangers season 2 could easily find an explanation for Masha’s return that doesn’t contradict the original story.

Nine Perfect Strangers Needs Nicole Kidman To Continue

Even as an anthology

Nine Perfect Strangers had an interesting plot, but the sequel needs Nicole Kidman to continue. The show was mostly praised for its performances, and the Academy Award-winning actress was the face of the entire series. When it premiered, it was often marketed as Nicole Kidman’s new show, and she helped the series generate a lot of interest in it. Of course, she did all that with the help of its big ensemble, but Kidman was the main draw, turning Nine Perfect Strangers into Hulu’s most-watched original series premiere.

Nicole Kidman might be mostly known for starring in movies, but in recent years, she has been doing a lot of TV work again. Kidman did several TV roles when she started acting in the ’80s, and she recently starred in the HBO miniseries The Undoing, the new version of the 2008 film Australia, Faraway Downs, and, most notably, Big Little Lies. The last title on the list was her first collaboration with Nine Perfect Strangers‘ author, Liane Moriarty, and Kidman also took the role of executive producer for both TV shows. Consequently, moving forward with Nine Perfect Strangers season 2 without her wouldn’t make sense.

With Nicole Kidman’s newest limited series Nine Perfect Strangers hitting Hulu, here are Nicole Kidman’s TV show roles ranked from worst to best.

How Season 2 Can Make Sense Of Masha’s Return After Tranquillum House’s Scandal

Nine Perfect Strangers’ finale could’ve been deceiving

Nine Perfect Strangers has to come up with a good explanation to bring back Masha after the Tranquillum House scandal. However, season 1’s ending could prove to be its best ally. The series maintained a mysterious aura over its last 10 minutes, which included Masha’s arrest. After the police take Masha away in the police car, they interrogate the guests, who confirm that Masha did use psychedelic drugs on them, but that it turned out to be a good approach. Because the guests seemed to have found the experience good for them, they might not have pressed charges, which means Masha could have been let go without going to prison.

On top of that, in the finale, all the guests went their separate ways. The last few minutes showed short glimpses of the characters returning to their regular lives with a more positive outlook on life. It saved the best for last: Masha driving on a highway in Ben’s yellow Lamborghini, with Frances’ new book on the dashboard called Nine Perfect Strangers, and her deceased daughter in the passenger seat. Because of how uncertain and mysterious season 1’s ending is, Nine Perfect Strangers season 2 could easily make sense of Tranquillum House’s scandal and allow Masha to run another resort in the Swiss Alps.