Will ‘My Brilliant Career’ return for season two?
My Brilliant Career is proof that Netflix literary adaptations are officially in a league of their own. Because, believe it or not, Sybylla Melvyn is all netizens can currently talk about.
Based on Miles Franklin’s seminal 1901 novel of the same name, the Australian period drama tells the story of Sybylla, a free-spirited aspiring writer who refuses to bow to societal and family pressures to marry for money as she enters high society, driven by a desire to fulfil her dreams of becoming an independent author.
While the story meets a satisfying conclusion by the end of its six episodes, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating whether My Brilliant Career will be back for more, meaning a potential second season.
Well, Netflix hasn’t officially renewed the period piece for a second season yet, which is not exactly surprising considering the streaming giant prefers to weigh in a select few crucial factors, including viewership numbers and completion rates of the said project, before announcing a follow-up. Since it has not even been a week since the show’s August 13th premiere, it’s probably too early to say what awaits its future.
That said, in a recent conversation with TV Insider, Philippa Northeast, who portrays Sybylla in Netflix’s My Brilliant Career, shared that her character’s ending arc has indeed left her craving more adventures in Sybylla’s shoes. In fact, she’s really looking forward to seeing where Sybylla’s footprints take her next.
“I want to see this character in other landscapes being challenged by other environments,” Northeast said. “Where will she go? Which train will she go on next? What will she learn next from a different environment? I think it’s a character that’s [ripe] for new landscapes.”
Although fans couldn’t agree more, Northeast also confessed that the show’s conclusion, where Sybylla rejects Harry Beecham’s proposal to prioritise herself and her dreams, is undoubtedly an ending that hits home.
The Netflix actor specifically adores the closing moment when Sybylla waits for a train to take her because “it encapsulates everything that she’s been through and the growth that she’s made at that point.”
Another reason that may have influenced the cravings for a sequel is that Franklin actually wrote a follow-up novel titled My Career Goes Bung, which, although it was written around the same timeline, was published much later in 1946. In the sequel book, Sybylla is a successful author, having published her autobiography. But the publication faces its fair share of criticism from people who don’t take representations very kindly.
Whether the Netflix series will adapt the sequel book remains shrouded in mystery. So, until an official confirmation arrives, stream the first season of My Brilliant Career, now on Netflix!