So, you’ve finished that brutal cliffhanger. The screen went black, the gunpowder was practically stinging your nostrils, and now you’re left wondering if Netflix is actually going to let Steven Knight finish what he started. It’s been months since Patrick Cochrane leveled that revolver at the Guinness siblings, and the silence from the streaming giant is getting, well, a bit loud.
Honestly, the ending of the first season was classic Knight. It was messy, high-stakes, and fundamentally cruel to anyone who hates waiting. We saw the Guinness family—Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben—standing on that stage, finally looking like a united front, only for the Fenian shadows to catch up with them.
But here’s the thing: history has a habit of spoiling the fun if you know where to look. While the show plays fast and loose with the "inspired by" tag, the real-life fate of the Guinness dynasty gives us some pretty massive clues about where House of Guinness Season 2 is heading.
Is Season 2 actually happening?
Netflix hasn't officially pressed the "green" button yet. I know, it’s annoying. Typically, they wait to see the "completion rate"—basically how many of us binged the whole thing in 48 hours—before committing to the massive budget a period piece like this requires.
But don't panic. Steven Knight isn't exactly shy about his plans. He’s already told several outlets, including TV Insider and RadioTimes, that he intends to keep this story going. He even mentioned wanting to take the family all the way into the 20th century. If you look at the ratings in the UK and Ireland, the show was a juggernaut. It’s hard to imagine Netflix walking away from a Peaky Blinders successor that actually lands.
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The Bullet: Who did Patrick actually hit?
The biggest question everyone is screaming at their TV: Did Arthur die?
Short answer? No.
If the show stays even remotely tethered to the real Arthur Guinness (Lord Ardilaun), he’s got a lot of life left in him. The real Arthur lived until 1915. He was a massive figure in Irish politics and the brewery's history. Killing him off in 1869 would be like killing off Tony Soprano in the first season—it fundamentally breaks the historical trajectory Knight seems to love.
However, "not dying" doesn't mean "not shot."
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There’s a popular theory floating around Reddit right now that the bullet didn't hit Arthur at all. Some fans are betting it hit Ellen Cochrane—the sister who blew the whistle to save the family she was supposed to help destroy. It would be a tragic, Shakespearean twist. Her death would destroy Edward (Louis Partridge) and turn the simmering tension between the Guinnesses and the Fenians into an all-out war.
What the real history tells us about the plot
If we move into House of Guinness Season 2, we’re likely looking at the early 1870s. This was a transformative decade for the family.
- The Power Shift: In real life, Arthur eventually got bored of the beer business. He was more interested in being a landlord and a politician. This led to a massive internal shift where he sold his shares to his younger brother, Edward. We saw the seeds of this in Season 1—Edward is the one with the "brewery in his blood," while Arthur is the "dandy" who wants the title.
- The Land War: The 1870s and 80s in Ireland were defined by the Land War. Arthur, as a major landowner, was right in the crosshairs. If you think the Fenian tension was high in Season 1, wait until the family has to deal with the actual rural rebellion.
- The Secret Affairs: The drama between Lady Olivia (Danielle Galligan) and the fixer Sean Rafferty (James Norton) is purely fictional, but it's the engine of the show’s "soap" element. Since Olivia is pregnant with Rafferty’s child, Season 2 has to deal with the fallout of a bastard heir in a family obsessed with legitimacy. Arthur might be "open-minded" about his own sexuality, but he’s a Guinness—he won't let his legacy be compromised easily.
The New York Connection
Remember Byron Hedges? Jack Gleeson’s character is basically a chaos agent. By the end of the first season, he’d set up a deal that gives 15% of American profits to the Fenian Brotherhood.
This is where Season 2 could get really interesting. Knight loves a sprawling world. We could see a lot more of the gritty, post-Civil War New York docks. The "Brotherhood" isn't going to let go of that 15% easily, and as the brewery grows, the stakes for that "blood money" only get higher.
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Cast: Who is coming back?
Unless Knight pulls a total "Red Wedding," expect the core four to return:
- Anthony Boyle as Arthur (likely surviving the shooting).
- Louis Partridge as Edward (the rising star of the empire).
- Emily Fairn as Anne (leaning further into her philanthropy and community power).
- Fionn O'Shea as Benjamin (still struggling, still the family's "lost" soul).
James Norton’s Sean Rafferty is also a lock. You don't hire an actor of that caliber just to let him fade into the background. His "Wednesday meetings" with Olivia are going to be a ticking time bomb.
The takeaway for fans
While we wait for the official Netflix "Tudum" sound to announce a renewal, the best thing you can do is look at the 1870s Irish history. The real Guinness family was moving toward a public listing on the stock exchange—a move that made them the richest family in the world at the time.
That kind of wealth brings a specific kind of target.
If you're looking for actionable steps to stay in the loop, keep an eye on Steven Knight’s production company, Digbeth Loc. They usually leak filming dates in Birmingham and Dublin a few months before Netflix goes public with a trailer.
The story isn't over. The beer is still pouring, and the gunpowder hasn't even settled yet. Check back here as we track the official filming start dates for the next chapter of the Dublin dynasty.