Netflix has renewed its freshman crime drama series Nemesis for a second season, following a launch that saw the show surge to the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s English TV chart and land in the Top 10 in 83 countries.
The series racked up more than 830 million minutes viewed in its first week alone and pulled in 11.4 million views during its peak week, a performance strong enough to push Netflix toward an early renewal. Nemesis also holds a 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, though audience reception has been more mixed.
From creators and executive producers Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole, Nemesis tells the story of two men on either side of the law. It’s the tale of what happens when an unstoppable force, expert criminal Coltrane Wilder (Y’lan Noel), meets an immovable object, brilliant police detective Isaiah Stiles (Matthew Law). What starts as a series that aims to subvert the heist genre at every turn, amped with thrilling life-or-death stakes, family dynamics, and explosive action, gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.
Season 1 also starred Cleopatra Coleman, Tre Hale, Domenick Lombardozzi, Jonnie Park, Ariana Guerra, Gabrielle Dennis, Michael Potts, Sophina Brown, and Jeff Pierre. Guest stars included Moe Irvin, Quincy Isaiah, Jay Reeves, Mike O’Malley, Stephanie Sigman, Khalilah Joi, Shane Johnson, Siua Ikale’o, Dawnn Lewis, Mark Feuerstein, and Chris Bauer.
“I feel blessed to get a season two. We thank the fans, it’s because of them, there’s no other reason. It’s them showing up, them talking about it and their huge social media response. We are grateful to Netflix for recognizing the power of our audience and bringing us back for the fans,” Kemp said.
Added Marole, “Season 2, we’re very grateful to have it. We’re going to make sure those questions get answered, and even more questions are available for you to answer. Make no mistakes, season 2 is going to be bigger and better.”
The main question left at the end of season 1: what happens after Coltrane jumps the fence and runs away from Stiles? As a refresher, Noah Stiles (Cedric Joe) catches up with Coltrane, his father’s nemesis, during a multi-man gun battle for Coltrane’s head. Coltrane takes off on foot through the streets of Los Angeles, with both Noah and Stiles Sr., along with several others, chasing after him. He hits a dead end in an alley, and Noah reaches him first, armed and threatening Coltrane’s life for killing his grandfather. Coltrane turns slowly, arms raised.
Out of nowhere, someone barrels into the alley with a loaded gun and shoots Noah in the leg. Coltrane applies pressure to the wound until Stiles Sr. arrives to take over. Coltrane tells Stiles, “You were never gonna win,” and with the elder Stiles focused on his son, slips over a fence to freedom.
“Courtney and Tani have built something truly special with Nemesis, a show that captivated audiences and never let go. Watching the global response has been extraordinary; this series resonated with fans in a way that was electric and far-reaching. Their vision, craft, and passion are unmatched, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to continue this journey with them into season 2,” said Nne Ebong, Netflix VP, Studio Scripted Series, UCAN.
In addition to showrunners Kemp and Marole, Nemesis is also executive produced by Chris Selak (End of Episode) and Philipp Barnett. Mario Van Peebles executive produced and directed episodes 1 and 2. Additional directors include Millicent Shelton (episodes 3 and 4), Rob Hardy (episodes 5 and 6), and Ruben Garcia (episodes 7 and 8).