Alexander Skarsgard May Not Be Done On ‘Big Little Lies’ After All

Some big not-so-little whispers about Big Little Lies are afoot. (Oh, and fair warning: There are some Big Little Lies Season 1 spoilers ahead.) On Monday, TVLine reported that Alexander Skarsgård may be on Big Little Lies Season 2 "in some capacity." And why wouldn’t the critically acclaimed HBO series bring the award-winning actor back? His chilling performance was one of the many elements of the remarkable first season of the miniseries based on the novel of the same name, and it would make sense that the show would want to keep as many of these elements as possib— Ah, wait that’s right: In the season finale, Skarsgård’s character, Perry, died after he was pushed down a flight of stairs at an Elvis Presley and Audrey Hepburn costume party. However, that may not be Perry's final Big Little Lies (executive producer: Nicole Kidman) scene after all.

For a split second, you may rejoice at the TVLine report: Hooray, Skarsgård the wonderfully talented actor could be around for another season! It’s always nice to see him on TV. But then you think about the monster of a character he played on Season 1. Your stomach knots up like a bunch of unclasped necklaces that were haphazardly dropped into a drawstring bag. Oh no. Does this mean the show didn’t actually get rid of the monster that is Perry? Well, that would be the opposite of a relief.

Perry was, in a word, evil. He was Celeste's (Nicole Kidman) abusive husband and Jane's (Shailene Woodley) rapist, and his death happened shortly after he attacked his wife in front of her friends at a school fundraiser. As far as recent TV villains go, Perry is right up there with a certain reprehensible Game of Thrones character who was eaten by dogs.

After months of speculation regarding whether or not the miniseries would get a second round, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed in December 2017 that Big Little Lies Season 2 was officially underway. According to THR, HBO said the next installment, which is slated to air in 2019, will get into the “malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting. Relationships will fray, loyalties will erode … the potential for emotional and bodily injury shall loom." Award-winning director Andrea Arnold will take the helm, and all seven episodes, which are based on a story by Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty, have been penned by David E. Kelley.

It’s worth noting that TVLine reported that Season 2 was a go several weeks before HBO confirmed it, so don’t add a grain of salt to the site’s Skarsgård scoop. It’s also worth noting that when NBC asked about Big Little Lies Season 2 at the 75th Golden Globes, Skarsgård's answer was pretty curious. According to People, the actor said, “I don’t even know if I’m really dead or not. I feel okay right now but we’ll see.” Huh.

If Skarsgård is indeed part of the next installment, what would that mean for the show? Perhaps Perry will appear in some gut wrenching flashbacks. Or maybe Celeste, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz), Renata (Laura Dern), and Jane will see him in their nightmares. Or maybe Season 2 will be a prequel to Season 1. Or maybe it's a twin situation. Or maybe the show really didn’t kill off Perry; Skarsgård’s cryptic comment at the Globes might’ve been a clue about what’s in store for the forthcoming batch of episodes.

First, HBO announces that what was originally supposed to be a one-off miniseries will get a second season, and now, Skarsgård could be back for another round. In true Big Little Lies style, Season 2 is already full of twists and turns.