Actor Ella Purnell has had an exciting few years. Thanks to Showtime‘s Yellowjackets, she became a highly sought-after performer, as did every one of her costars in the time-hopping cannibal series. The nature of her role, however, meant that she only starred in Season 1, which allowed her to pursue a number of projects while the rest of the cast were committed to return for more seasons.
Purnell then joined the highly anticipated adaptation of the video game series Fallout for Prime Video, where her bright-eyed Lucy embarked on a mission in a post-apocalyptic world in hopes of finding her father. Her naivete as she navigated the wasteland was immediately endearing, anchoring what could be a downtrodden show in much more delightful territory.
Her Starz series Sweetpea, on the other hand, is a much more ruthless experience, as she plays a character pushed over the edge and into the realm of violence. A new trailer for Season 2 of the series has been released, which you can see below.
Season 2 sees wallflower-turned-killer Rhiannon Lewis (Purnell) navigate a new promotion, an irresistible rebound, and a copycat killer threatening to expose her. The kill list is mounting, and she is forced to question whether her perfect ex, AJ, was right: is she a monster?
Jon Pointing, Jeremy Swift, Leah Harvey, Ingrid Oliver, Nitin Ganatra, and Alexandra Dowling return to star in Sweetpea Season 2 alongside Ella Purnell. New additions include Rish Shah, Tamsin Greig, Taj Atwal, and Jenny Walser.
Created by Kirstie Swain, Sweetpea is based on the 2017 novel written by CJ Skuse.
While the narrative itself is compelling enough in its own right, as audiences have watched the descent of Rhiannon into a dark and disturbing place after she’s pushed too far, what makes the adaptation all the more engaging is how it showcases Purnell’s range as a performer. Her role in Fallout similarly forces her to embrace a more aggressive approach to the world around her, though in a way that’s necessary for survival. Sweetpea, though, might deliver glimpses of empathetic moments due to the way her character is treated, but it’s also challenging to root for her to continue to descend down such a dark path.
Season 2 of Sweetpea is set to launch on Sky in the UK in November and early 2027 on Starz.
Are you looking forward to Season 2 of the series? Let us know in the comments below!