Amazon Prime Video has not yet renewed My Lady Jane for Season 2, but if they did, there would be plenty of stories to explore. The historical comedy-drama, adapted by Gemma Burgess and Meredith Glynn from a novel series, has endless possibilities because Lady Jane Grey’s history is changed — she does not get executed in this timeline.
Let me quickly recap the end of Season 1: Queen Mary desperately tries to get Jane and her lover Guildford wrongfully executed, but it goes wrong because the Ethians, under the command of King Edward VI, save the day. But the story does not end there—Jane and Guildford run off together.
Taking Down Queen Mary Could Be The Central Theme Of Season 2
Queen Mary (played by Kate O’Flynn) in ‘My Lady Jane’ (Credit – Amazon Prime Video)
There’s no vibe or feeling that Jane and Guildford will remain on the run and in exile forever, though I am sure they’ll enjoy each other as much as possible due to the increased sexual tension we had to witness in Season 1. Mary is a backstabber throughout the story, desperate for the throne and fuelled by the nostalgia of her father, King Henry VIII. Lady Jane Grey may be hellbent on taking Queen Mary down after becoming an illegitimate Queen.
On the sidelines is King Edward VI, who, again, is supposed to die, but he avoided assassination from Mary and Seymour. He has pledged to the Ethians that he will grant them freedom if he returns to the throne.
But there’s more to the story than meets the eye; he struggles with his sexuality throughout the first season, and he’s slowly coming to terms with his homosexuality after becoming close to a male acquaintance (also an Ethian). There’s a chaotic story here that Edward will be tempted to remain away from the throne so he can enjoy life among the ordinary people of society.
There are plenty of hints that he feels conflicted about returning as King. Will he still value his people if he claims back his royalty?
It’s also possible that Edward teams up with Jane and Guildford. Mary will be dangerous against the Ethians now that she’s desperately clinging on to power, meaning there will need to be a stronger rebellion.
There’s also the potential story of fleshing out characters like Katherine Grey, another tragic narrative. as she navigates her daughter’s death under Mary.
The one thing I do know is that because My Lady Jane does not follow historical records, the story could go anywhere. After they exhaust the novel, it’s down to the writers to adapt as they please.
Does ‘My Lady Jane’ Need To Continue, Or Could We Get ‘My Plain Jane’?
Cover of novel ‘My Plain Jane’ by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows (Credit – Amazon)
Now that we’ve tackled what Season 2 could be about, the remaining question is, does it need to happen? Well, technically, no, and maybe that’s why Prime Video has not yet made a decision.
The second book of the novel series does not follow Jane and Guildford after their escape. It’s a standalone story following a different Jane; in 2018, Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows released My Plain Jane, an alternative story on Jane Eyre: a penniless orphan who begins her new life as a governess.
So, if My Lady Jane were to continue as it is, it would have to do so without any source material and the strength of completely new writing.
But, and this is a big but, it’s possible that Amazon will decide to release a new standalone series based on the second book and pivot to the character Jane Eyre. If My Lady Jane proves successful based on audience metrics, this would be a sensible marketing strategy by Prime Video.
Okay, enough of me waffling; what would you, the audience, want? Is it a continuation of My Lady Jane or a standalone series of My Plain Jane? Comment below and let me know.
