Yes, There Will Be a Season 3 of 'Bloodline'

By Dustin Rowles | Streaming | September 13, 2016 |

By Dustin Rowles | Streaming | September 13, 2016 |

Update (July 13, 2016) — Oh thank God. Netflix has finally renewed the series for a third season, per The Hollywood Reporter. It will be back in 2017 for another 10-episode season, meaning that all of those loose ends at the end of season two will get a chance to be tied up. It is not known, however, whether it will continue to film in the Florida Keys, after tax rebates in Florida expired.

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Update (July 10, 2016): There is still no official word on a season three, although the showrunners have indicated that, if renewed, the third season would take an even darker turn. Netflix, however, has remained mum about the possibility of a third season, though nearly two months have no passed since the second season aired. It’s believed that the expired tax incentives in Florida are affecting negotiations, and that the showrunners are not keen on moving locations, since the Florida Keys play such an integral role to the series.

Fans are clearly eager for more.

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If you’re looking for a review of the second season of Netflix series, Bloodline, here’s my overview of the entire season.

Short answer: It’s my favorite Netflix original drama, and while season two is not quite up to the perfection of the first season, it still delivers a steady dose of panic attacks. The series pivots from the murder of Danny Rayburn to the coverup, and while the best part of the first season, Ben Mendelsohn, only appears sporadically in flashbacks, his presence is partially filled by Owen Teague — who capably plays the son and spitting image of Danny — while John Leguizamo also helps to offset the void. Nevertheless, most of the heavy lifting this season falls to Kyle Chandler, and while he doesn’t bring with him the dark energy of Mendelsohn, he’s obviously a very capable actor. It is not easy, however, for fans of Coach Taylor to watch Chandler’s John Rayburn transform from fallen hero to anti-hero, as he maneuvers, manipulates, and menaces over the course of the season to save his own ass.

As to the question of whether there will be a season three of Bloodline, that also falls into two categories: Will there be a season three of Bloodline? And should there be a season three of Bloodline?

As to the first question: Will there be a season three of Bloodline, that question is still up in the air. Netflix has not yet officially renewed the series. While we do not know the ratings for the Netflix drama, it is not a series that generates a lot of buzz, and the one actor who received an Emmy nomination, Mendelsohn, is a now a minor presence on the series.

More troubling, still, is the fact that the tax credits for the series to shoot in the Florida Keys have dried up. Given how integral the location is to the series, the inability to shoot in Florida may put the future of the series in jeopardy.

Nevertheless, Netflix is flush with cash, and they are typically very good about pleasing their fans. Assuming there is strong interest in a season three, expect Netflix to renew in a matter of days or weeks.

The other question is: Should there be a season three? To answer that, we’ll have to discuss spoilers. If you haven’t finished the second season yet, I strongly urge you to avoid the rest of this post. The end of season two is truly something you don’t want to have spoiled for you if you plan on watching Bloodline (and I would recommend that you do). Circle back around here after you’re done to discuss.

In answer to the question, should there be a season three of Bloodline? There definitely better be, because season two left open a number of questions. In fact, as good as season two was, it resolved nothing. The second season finale, in fact, demands a third season.

Here are a few of the lingering questions we will have until season three of Bloodline:

— Once Marco had John Rayburn dead-to-rights on the murder of Danny, John skipped town. He’s last seen driving away from the Florida Keys, leaving his family to pick up the mess. Will he come back?

— However, the man who had John dead to rights is now dead. Kevin Rayburn, in a fit of frustrated rage, beat Marco to death with a dolphin statue. That will invariably lead to another coverup. Presumably, Meg will assist Kevin in this endeavor (and they may call John back to help out, as well).

— Ed O’Bannon, about to be granted immunity by Marco in exchange for his testimony against John, has been left in the wind by the death of Marco. He presumably has no ally, although Sheriff Aguirre (David Zayas) knows about the immunity deal. He may have a conflict of interest, however, because he’s running for sheriff against John Rayburn. What will happen to O’Bannon?

— The lynchpin in all of this is probably Roy Gilberts (Beau Bridges), the local businessman who is not only bankrolling John Rayburn’s run for sheriff but bought out Kevin’s boating business so that he’d have a place to run his drugs. Gilberts has Ozzy Delvichio (Leguizamo’s character) in hand, and he could probably take care of Ed O’Bannon for the Rayburns and hide Marco’s body, as well. Of course, this would mean the Rayburns would be obligated to Gilberts for the foreseeable future, and if John were to win the race for Sheriff, he’d have to look the other way while Gilberts used the marina to bring in drug shipments. Basically, the Rayburns would become Gilberts’ facilitator.

— Nolan and Eve, of course, are still in the mix, as well. Nolan feels responsible for Danny’s death because of his secret — that he burned down his father’s restaurant — and if that gets out, the rest of the Rayburns may turn against him next season.

All of which is to say, if there is a third season of Bloodline — and there should be — it could be a different series, one less about Danny, his murder, and the coverup, and one much more about getting out from under the thumb of Roy Gilberts.