The Netflix series “Maniac” is now streaming online. The limited series only has 10 episodes and tells the story of a pharmaceutical trial that goes very wrong. The star-studded cast includes Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, along with Justin Theroux and Sally Field.

Many viewers love the series so much they are asking for a second season but it isn’t going to happen. In the series, Stone’s character, Annie, fakes her way into the pharmaceutical trial as she is already hooked on their drug. She meets up with Hill’s character, Owen, who believes he is a schizophrenic and hopes the drug trial will help cure him.

Theroux plays a mad scientist, Dr. Mantleray – around 2,000 miles away from his previous TV character in “The Leftovers.” Field plays his overbearing mother, who he simultaneously loves and hates.

‘Maniac’ – a trippy limited Netflix series

One aspect of the show that caught my eye was that Justin Theroux's character has a colleague/lover, Dr Azumi Fujita who is a chain-smoker – dressed all in white like certain characters from his previous TV series, "The Leftovers." Whether that was intentional or just a coincidence is unknown.

The show was directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the man behind “True Detective” and the newly-minted director of the upcoming “James Bond 25.” Many people enjoyed the show so much – with many watching it in one bingeful sitting – they are already asking for a season 2 of “Maniac.”

Digital Spy reported there's actually a chance of a second season of “Maniac,” hinting that it would be without Fukunaga.

They quote the director as saying he likes to do one season and then move on to something different. Fukunaga did say he would be happy if a season 2 did happen, saying if viewers like it enough, he thought showrunner Patrick Somerville would be happy to do it, but not with him.

However, as reported by Cinema Blend, their hopes have been dashed with the announcement by Somerville that there have never been plans for a second season – it was always intended to be a once-off, limited series.

Happy ending for ‘Maniac’

Somerville said this is why they left things off with a more hopeful conclusion to the series. He said in some TV series, your characters have to be thrown into distress again towards the end, in order to ensure the next season. Patrick said with "Maniac," they didn’t have to do this.

Somerville did say that making a show like this takes a huge amount of imagination and energy, so you want to keep using that energy for future seasons, however, he said as “Maniac” had an “improvisational feeling” along the way, they said this is it, let’s do it this way because this is what the show is all about.

After several, sometimes bewildering but enjoyable episodes, it is good that “Maniac” ended on such a high note. However, it gave many the feeling this wasn’t the end for Hill and Stone’s characters and that a future season 2 could be possible.

Somerville went on to explain that the ending wasn’t made like that in case of future episodes, it was to give the audience closure, believing that everything could work out okay for Owen and Annie.

It’s certainly pleasant to be able to smile at the end of a good series and not be left open-mouthed and begging for more.

Somerville explained to The Hollywood Reporter that otherwise the show would have had to have a dark and gloomy ending, with something bad happening to the couple to ensure another season. He said ending this way leaves it up to the imagination of the viewer to decide how things work out for Owen and Annie.

If readers haven’t watched “Maniac” yet, it is ready and available for streaming on Netflix right now. Here’s a trailer to pique your interest in the show.
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