Coming of age seriesPen15was a big hit on Hulu so there were many fans who were surprised when theseries was cancelled after just two seasons. Although many of the show’s followers cited complications with COVID delaying filming as the main reason for the early end to the series, stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle explained that there was another reason for the show coming to an end, and it is seems more that there was never really a plan to continue after the second season, regardless of events going on in the world.
“It looks like that from the outside. It was something that we talked about for a bit, a while ago, of it being three chapters. And the confusing part is that this is unfortunately called 2B, which is not our choice. In our minds, it’s a Season 3. So chapters is the term. And parts 2A and 2B were always supposed to be separate before COVID happened,” Konkle toldVariety’s Just For Variety podcast.
While the two actresses are not completely shutting down the idea of more episodes, the fact that both Erskine and Konkle are 34, playing teenagers was always going to have a limit, especially when their co-stars are all in their teens.
“I think also it’s been the biggest privilege in the world to do. And also the showrunning, acting, writing, producing, I couldn’t imagine anything better,” Konkle continued. “And it’s also like 15-hour days for years. We conceived of the idea 10 years ago. So it’s time and if we feel inspired in the future, then we’ll do more.”
While the series will not be coming back again in the current plans, both of the stars have plenty to keep themselves busy at the moment. Konkle is in the middle of completing her memoir, whileErskine will soon be seen alongside Ewan McGregor in the upcoming Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobiseries on Disney+, and additionally both actresses gave birth earlier this year so have their hands pretty full in their home lives as well. It is partly thanks to becoming a mother that Konkle was spurred into setting to work on her memoir. She explained:
“Just balancing [post-production] and this new motherhood job as well is fing hard. And pumping and breastfeeding, and vagina healing, and body changing — it is the real deal. Bowing down to everyone that’s done it before us. Memoirs also are the only things that I read. And it was so healing for me to, for the first time, read about people owning their shame and secrets in a fing hilarious way. … There was some healing also in seeing that these people weren’t dead on the street. They had lived and had the strength to write it down, and talk about it in a way that was artful, that I could look up to and go like, ‘Ah, okay, I can be okay. I can be okay, too.’”
