Netflix’s Bloodline was far from the Next Great Drama some had presumed it to be, but there’s a damn good reason that star Ben Mendelsohn bagged an Emmy nomination for his work in the slow-burn show’s first season. As black sheep Danny Rayburn, he was absolutely fantastic, capturing a complex figure’s alternately sinister and sympathetic qualities.
Now, with Bloodline renewed for a second season, the question becomes, will we see more of the character down the line?
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
You see, the entire narrative mystery of the freshman run revolved around Danny’s death at the hands of his seemingly righteous brother John (Kyle Chandler). So, with that arc completed and John looking toward an uncertain future with his brother’s blood on his hands, there’s no question that Danny has drawn his last breath.
But at the Television Critics Association press tour, executive producer Glenn Kessler confirmed that Mendelsohn will indeed be back as a series regular in season 2, saying:
“The DNA of the show is such that the past is always with us. We’re going to learn more about Danny’s effect on the family and more about his past, and also what his effects are in the present day…There’s a very important story that we’re interested in telling that includes [Danny].”
Kessler is no doubt referring to the impact that Danny’s son, who turned up at the end of the first season, will have on the rest of the characters, and it makes a lot of sense that the new character’s introduction could pave the way for flashbacks featuring Danny. Bloodline could also find John directly haunted by Danny’s ghost, though how that would line up with the tone of the show is a question that needs to be answered.
Regardless, fans can rest easy knowing Mendelsohn’s return is not an attempt to please fans who liked the character, but something that’s been in the works since early on.
Said Kessler:
“That was always part of the plan… When we first hired him, it was for more than the first season.”
Bloodline will return to Netflix next year.
