The story of Raelle Collar, Abigail Bellweather, and Tally Craven is far from over, as Freeform’s Motherland: Fort Salem is confirmed to return for another season.
The season 2 renewal news came on May 19th, just one day before the supernatural drama ended its 10-episode freshman run. The announcement was made alongside the news that Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, another Freeform series, is also returning for a second season.
“We couldn’t be happier to bring both Everything’s Gonna Be Okay and Motherland: Fort Salem back for second seasons,” Freeform head of originals Lauren Corrao said in a statement. “Each show’s originality, characters and themes struck a chord with our audience, and we’re excited to share the ambitious stories the writers have planned for season 2. We have a strong slate ahead, and with our young-adult audience coming of age in a time that will forever impact their lives, we owe it to them to tell bold, authentic stories that reflect who they are and where they are going.”
Created by Eliot Laurence, Motherland: Fort Salem is set in an alternate version of present-day America where witches ended their persecution 300 years ago by cutting a deal with the United States government to fight for their country. The story follows three young women ― Raelle (Taylor Hickson), Abigail (Ashley Nicole Williams), and Tally (Jessica Sutton) ― from basic training in combat magic into terrifying and thrilling early deployment. In this world, the traditional roles of gender and power are flipped with women on the front lines. And while terrorist threats in this alternate world are strikingly familiar to the real world, there are supernatural tactics and weapons involved.
Though reviews for the first season of the show were not stellar ― only 49 metascore on Metacritic and 62% critic ratings on Rotten Tomatoes ― its ratings were pretty consistent throughout its freshman run, which averaged a 0.10 rating among adults 18-49 and 312,000 viewers.
“I could not be more grateful for the chance to keep exploring the world of Motherland: Fort Salem,” Laurence said in a statement following the renewal news. “Freeform has been such a fabulous home for us through the development process, production, post and marketing. I’m also blown away by the love we’ve gotten from our fans, whose excitement and passion played a massive part in this renewal. Thank you, witches!”
Plot details about season 2 are being kept under wraps, but it was recently announced that Lyne Renee, who recurred as General Sarah Adler in season 1, has been upped to series regular for the next season.