Will there be a Murdaugh: Death in the Family Season 2? Here’s what we know

Murdaugh: Death in the Family on Hulu was released on October 15, 2025, and viewers were immediately pulled into the complex tale of the Murdaugh family.

The popular Murdaugh Murders podcast was a source of inspiration for Michael D. Fuller and Erin Lee Carr, who transformed it into an eight-part limited series that revisited the downfall of this influential South Carolina family and the startling killings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh in 2021.

The show doesn’t just stick to one style; it jumps between documentary-style digging and full-on scripted drama. Jason Clarke steps into the role of Alex Murdaugh, while Patricia Arquette plays Maggie. Hulu dropped the first three episodes right away, then kept people waiting for more with new episodes each week. The series wrapped up on November 19, 2025.

Murdaugh: Death in the Family started as a limited series, a one-season show that tells a complete story based on real events. That label isn’t just for show. Calling it a “limited series” means the creators plan to wrap everything up in one season.

It also shapes things like awards eligibility, marketing, and how networks think about green-lighting more episodes. But when a show blows up on streaming and fans can’t get enough, those original plans sometimes go out the window.

That’s exactly what people are wondering now. With all this early hype and streaming numbers, is a second season actually on the table?

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Is Murdaugh: Death in the Family officially a limited series?

Yes, Hulu and the show’s press materials call Murdaugh: Death in the Family a limited series. On Hulu’s official press page and in plenty of articles, it’s described as a one-season dramatization based on the podcast and the real events tied to the Murdaugh case. From the creators to the ads, everyone frames the show as a self-contained story focused on that particular saga.

Why does that matter? Well, in the TV world, “limited series” has a strict meaning, especially when it comes to awards or guilds. The Television Academy and producers’ groups have their own rules for what counts as a limited or anthology series.

Creators pick this format when they want to tell a story with a clear start, middle, and finish. Because of these rules and expectations, renewing a limited series isn’t as simple as just bringing back a regular drama. It’s a whole different process.

When Hulu launched Murdaugh: Death in the Family, they called it a series event and laid out the release schedule: three episodes dropped on October 15, then one each week after that. The press kit and listings on the platform both present the show as a complete story. Right now, Hulu hasn’t said anything about ordering or even thinking about a second season.

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How streaming platforms actually decide renewals

Before streaming platforms greenlight another season, they dig into a bunch of different signals. Here are the big ones:

First up, they watch the numbers. How many hours people stream, how many unique viewers tune in, whether folks finish the whole thing, and if they keep coming back week after week.

They also check the charts. That means their own daily or weekly top 10, but they will look at outside sources too, like Nielsen minutes, TVision or Showlabs rankings, and Luminate/Nielsen charts that track reach and attention.

Critical reception matters, too. A show that gets awards buzz or wins can bring extra value, such as prestige, subscriber loyalty, or good PR.

Then there’s the money side. If a show has a huge cast, fancy sets, or legal issues, costs go up. Platforms weigh those expenses against how many new subscribers they think the show actually brings in.

Creative intent and rights play a role. Does the creative team actually want to keep going? Plus, do the rights holders, real people, estates, or interviewees allow more episodes or dramatization?

And, of course, there’s always reputational or legal risk. Dramatizing recent real crimes, for example, can be problematic, and companies pay close attention to that.

For a limited series, sometimes the success is just too big to ignore. Platforms might turn a supposedly one-off show into an ongoing series or anthology if the economics or creative ideas make sense. But that’s not a given. Even with a lot of fan interest, it usually turns into a tricky negotiation.

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How Murdaugh: Death in the Family has performed so far

Streamers seldom share their complete viewing numbers, so you have to rely on things like platform top-10 lists, third-party trackers, and trade reports to get a sense of what’s actually popular.

Take Murdaugh: Death in the Family. Right after it dropped, it shot straight to No. 1 on the daily charts for both Disney+ and Hulu. It kept showing up in the top 10 for both platforms all through October and November 2025. Sites like FlixPatrol and other tracking aggregators also put it high on Hulu’s daily and weekly rankings.

Third-party trackers like TVision and Showlabs, which measure CTV attention and unique viewers, put Murdaugh: Death in the Family near the top of the most-streamed shows in mid-October. TVision ranked it in the top five streaming programs for part of October 2025. Around the same time, Showlabs’ weekly Hulu rankings also had Murdaugh: Death in the Family holding top spots through late October and early November.

Outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline jumped on Murdaugh’s strong start, pointing out how the show popped up in Nielsen and Luminate lists for trending and most-watched streaming originals while it aired. Sure, Nielsen’s weekly top-10 and monthly charts set the bar for the industry, but they rarely break things down by episode; that level of detail stays with the streaming platforms.

On Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, the show is getting a mixed-to-positive reaction. Early reviews from both critics and viewers put it in a good spot for a true-crime drama. These numbers help build some awards buzz and keep the show on people’s radar long after the premiere.

So, what does all this mean? Basically, the Murdaugh: Death in the Family is off to a strong start: good public buzz, decent chart performance, the kind of things you see with a potential streaming success. But at the end of the day, none of these outside ratings or press mentions will matter as much as Hulu’s own numbers when they decide whether to bring it back. Third-party stats look nice, but they don’t make the final call.

If Hulu sees that viewers keep coming back for more over time, and if the creators and rights holders are on board, they might just push the Murdaugh: Death in the Family story further. Maybe they would dig into later court cases, fresh investigations, or unexpected twists. Still, there’s some legal and ethical pushback here, since the main murder story was supposed to wrap up cleanly.

For reference, Big Little Lies started as a limited series, too, but they brought it back for another round.

Right now, there’s no official word on Murdaugh: Death in the Family Season 2. The show has done well in the charts, and people are definitely talking about it, so a follow-up isn’t out of the question. Maybe they will go for an anthology or a spin-off if it looks like a smart business move.

Still, the show is labeled as a limited series, the story has already wrapped up in the original material, and there are some tricky legal and ethical issues.

All that makes a quick renewal unlikely unless someone comes up with a really strong creative reason. If Hulu does change its mind, Murdaugh: Death in the Family will join a short list of limited series that came back when both the business and creative sides made sense.