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Though it was canceled after one season on Showtime, the crime drama American Rust has been picked up for season 2 on Amazon’s Freevee platform. Starring Jeff Daniels, the show follows a jaded police chief in a small Pennsylvania town who is tasked with investigating a grisly murder. Drawing its inspiration from the eponymous novel by Philipp Meyer, American Rust sets its gritty crime story against the background of a crumbling former steel town and uses its location to make commentary about the state of rural America.
Reviews for American Rust season 1 were lackluster at best, but the series showed promise, which was what had viewers tuning in each week. Because American Rust‘s reviews were so bad, Showtime opted to cancel the series almost as soon as the first season concluded. However, not long after it was canned, the series was picked up by Amazon, and American Rust is slated to become yet another Freevee exclusive. What changes will be made for American Rust season 2 are unknown, but there is clearly more to the story that is worth exploring.
American Rust Season 2 Latest News
The biggest update regarding American Rust season 2 came in March 2023 when CBS News released a small bulletin that the production of American Rust was on the hunt for additional background talent for the final round of shooting in the greater Pittsburgh area. This showed that production was well underway early in 2023, but it is unclear how the Hollywood strikes impacted the series. The SAG/AFTRA strike began in July 2023 and could have brought production to a halt.
American Rust Season 2 Confirmed
Though its swift cancelation by Showtime seemed like the end of Police Chief Del Harris (Jeff Daniels) and his Rust Belt crime drama, American Rust season 2 was revived on Amazon’s Freevee to the shock of many. The news confirmed that season 2 of American Rust was officially happening, though work has been going on behind the scenes to bring the show back to the air with little fanfare.
American Rust Season 2 Cast
The cast of American Rust seemed too star-studded to fail, and though the series was canned by Showtime, the bulk of the ensemble is expected to return for American Rust season 2. While no official casting announcements have been made, the return of Jeff Daniels as Chief Del Harris is a certainty, since the celebrated actor also serves as one of the show’s executive producers. Additionally, his co-star Maura Tierney will also likely reprise her stunning role as the fiery labor organizer Grace Poe.
Other expected returns include:
Actor | American Rust Role |
Rob Yang | Deputy Steve Park |
David Alvarez | Isaac English |
Bill Camp | Henry English |
Julia Mayorga | Lee English |
Alex Neustaedter | Billy Poe |
Mark Pellegrino | Virgil Poe |
American Rust Season 2 Story Details
American Rust season 1 exhausted the limits of Philipp Meyer’s novel, but it was clear from the final episode that many threads were designed to continue. American Rust season 2 will have to address the fallout of Del’s triple homicide, albeit in self-defense, and Deputy Park’s increasing suspicion of him. Park will likely take a more central role in the story of American Rust season 2, as he becomes the suspicious cop on the trail of the man whom he suspects committed the murders.
Also, American Rust season 2 will have to follow up on Grace’s failed unionization attempt at the mill, and her strange decision to burn down her own home to get closer to Del. Meanwhile, the wrongfully convicted Billy Poe was given a beating in prison, which left him in a coma, and season 2 will have to address the fate of the character one way or another.
