Breathless Season 2 hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the evidence suggests that we haven’t seen the last of Joaquin Sorolla Hospital. Medical dramas tend to fare well with the general public, and Netflix habitually allows soapy Spanish shows — see Elite, a very close analog to this one — to carry on well past their best-before date. But where might the story go next?
The ending of Breathless Season 1 left many subplots unresolved, from individual character dilemmas to the overall fate of the hospital itself. Narratively, Season 2 is a no-brainer. However, the narrative is the least of a streaming giant’s concerns, and the viewership must be there for a green light. Luckily for Breathless, it seems to be.
History Suggests A Lot Of Mileage in the Genre
If you were to list the shows that Breathless has the most in common with, you’d find plenty of evidence that these kinds of dramas are at their best over the long term. Grey’s Anatomy, an obvious influence, is about to start its twentieth season and has enjoyed multiple spin-offs which themselves ran for multiple seasons.
Similarly, New Amsterdam ran for five seasons. Even Hospital Playlist bucked the usual K-Drama one-and-done trend by running for two.
And you don’t need me to tell you how amenable Netflix has been to Spanish shows over the years, especially ones — like Breathless — with a good helping of soapy sensationalism. The aforementioned Elite ran for eight seasons, despite going rapidly downhill quality-wise after just three.
The Data Isn’t In, But Early Signs Are Good
While raw Netflix numbers aren’t yet available to gauge the show’s success, early signs are positive both critically and among audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, Breathless has a 60% Fresh rating among critics, while IMDb reflects both a big surge in popularity and a 6.3/10 score based on 388 reviews.
This is roughly in line with our review, which stated that Breathless is reassuringly familiar but struggles to reconcile two conflicting identities or stand out among the medical drama crowd.
On social media opinions follow suit, with users claiming that the drama is perfectly enjoyable but leans more into the interpersonal drama than the medical aspects:
I casually sat down and started binge watching the new #Netflix Spanish show #Respira/#Breathless because I enjoyed shows like #TheGoodDoctor, #TheResident and I’d finished the whole season in one go.
If you’re into medical dramas, though this one with more drama than actual… pic.twitter.com/dlnldjX5Ve
— FDFS Chandra (@saichndra) August 31, 2024
A Lot Remains Unresolved
As mentioned, if Breathless is renewed for Season 2, it won’t be like the writer’s room has a shortage of ideas for where to take things next.
Jesica ended Season 1 bleeding to death on the floor, and while her survival may seem like a foregone conclusion, her romantic woes are definitely still ongoing. There’s a love triangle between her, Biel, and Lluis that needs to be resolved posthaste and could easily be strung out for an entire second season.
Elsewhere, Leo has a sexually abusive son to worry about, Oscar remains ill and has a complicated road to recovery that will require a lot of help and support, Patricia will be undergoing experimental chemotherapy and presumably pursuing her romantic connection with Moa, all while the privatization of the hospital looms large. Plus May and Rocia have a pending custody battle.
Needless to say, this is plenty to be getting on with.
What do you think, dear readers? Will Breathless get renewed for a second season? Does it deserve one, and will you be tuning in? Let us know in the comments.
