Is The Tourist season 3 happening? Creators tease 'interesting avenues' for more

BBC original drama The Tourist has seen a resurgence in popularity in the United States ever since it moved over from HBO's streaming service Max to Netflix, and now the second season has been released on the platform just about a month after premiering across the pond.

The show stars Jamie Dornan as a man living in Australia who wakes up in a coma after surviving a car crash. He doesn't remember who he is, not even his name, and the first season sees him attempt to put the pieces together all while being targeted by people trying to hurt him. Danielle Macdonald co-stars as Helen Chambers, a constable who takes a personal interest in the case.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Tourist season 2.

The first season of The Tourist was well-received by both critics and audiences, making it a no-brainer to renew. The series got the green light for a second season just weeks after making its HBO Max (now known as Max) debut. So will the same be said about a potential third season? If you've already binged all six episodes of The Tourist season 2 either on BBC iPlayer or Netflix, you're likely wondering if there will be more to come. That ending certainly hinted at another installment, right?

The Tourist creators tease another season could happen

While speaking with the Radio Times after the second season wrapped up on BBC One, creators Harry and Jack Williams were, of course, asked about a potential third season. It seems like if viewers want more from the story, and if they can come up with reason enough to keep it going, they just might! "It can exist as a thing that ends [there] and we never see again, but like the first time round, we'd never say never," Harry Williams told the publication.

"And there is a little nod at the very end of this season that does suggest some interesting avenues for exploration, I would say. It depends on us finding the right thing, but we love the world and we love the characters and we love working with Jamie [Dornan] and Danielle [Macdonald], so that's always going to be interesting to us."

- Jack Williams

It seems smart that with both seasons, the duo wanted to tell a complete story just in case there wouldn't be more to come. It's always so disappointing when a show ends on a major cliffhanger, only to be canceled soon after. And while The Tourist season 2 does end on a cliffhanger of sorts, I'd feel okay with the series ending here. We learn a lot about our protagonist Elliot Stanley (real name Eugene Cassidy, as is revealed in season 2) in the latest installment, and while I'm sure it'd be fun to see what he and Helen are up to next, it's not totally necessary.

Do fans want The Tourist season 3? It's mixed

On the other hand, however, the reveal at the end of The Tourist season 2 that Elliot/Eugene was a secret agent is super fun. I could see fans of the show wanting more of his backstory; the fact that he woke up remembering nothing leaves so much room for more storylines.

Ahead of the new season dropping on Netflix, the response has been mixed, though. More mixed than the first season. The week before season 2 was released on Netflix, it was sitting at a 94% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 56% audience score. Honestly, I'm surprised by that! I think I prefer the second season a little bit more. It's funnier, and I was more invested in the characters. The change in location keeps it fresh, too.

Over on X (formerly known as Twitter), fans have shared their gripes with the second season, with one viewer saying that while they thought it was "good," the new episodes are "slightly far fetched in bits" and the ending is "crap." In contrast, on Rotten Tomatoes, one fan wrote: "Absolutely loved Season 2. Very different from season 1 but the ending makes it that much better!!" So do people want a third season? Because the response to the second season has been so varied, I'd say it's mixed. It really depends on just how attached viewers are to the characters and storylines at this point.

Plus, if the second season has an uptick in viewership with its Netflix release — as it's expected to — I wonder if the Williams brothers will be asked to keep The Tourist going.

When asked about a third season by Hello! Magazine during a Q&A back in December, Dornan joked: "It will be set in Canada, the scripts are already written." Wouldn't that be something? If a third season does happen, we can probably bet it'll be in a new location again, which I think would be a smart move.

Stay tuned for any more news regarding a renewal (or cancellation) for The Tourist, and in the meantime be sure to watch all 12 episodes of the drama right now on Netflix.