The Purge Season 2 finale could dramatically change the franchise moving forward

The Purge Season 2 has finally wrapped up with an explosive season finale, one that could potentially alter the future of the entire franchise.

Well, Season 2 of The Purge has come to a close, and overall, this was an impressive chapter in the franchise. It opened plenty of exciting doors for the future of the series. Before we dive into what the ending could mean for The Purge moving forward — especially The Purge 5 which is due out next year, let’s do a quick recap of the events that unfolded over the final hour of Season 2.

There are heavy spoilers below for the season finale of The Purge, do not keep reading if you haven’t watched it yet.

When we last saw our leading group of characters, they were all gearing up for the final hours of purge night. Marcus and his friends were speeding to the hospital with a dying Michelle and unconscious Ben in the backseat. Ryan and his crew were preparing to steal their money back from the Jackals, and Esme had infiltrated NFFA headquarters.

As we all anticipated, Ben arriving at the hospital did not render him suddenly good. Instead, he started viciously murdering anyone he crossed paths with and piling their bodies into a storage room. Luckily, after ensuring Michelle was stable, Marcus found Ben and the two engaged in a skirmish before Marcus managed to knock Ben out with a sedative.

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Back to Ryan and his team, they manage to pull off their heist and get back their money. They get a relatively happy ending until Ryan decides to go back for Esme.

Esme, with Vivan’s help, manages to get broadcast out to everyone that the NFFA is corrupt and kills people who get in their way off-purge.

She even shows the footage of this happening to the world. This is then demonstrated when the sirens ring and yet the NFFA soldiers are still instructed to murder Esme instead of arresting her.

Out of all the main characters, everyone lives except for Esme and Ryan, who die protecting each other and trying to change the world for the better.

Esme’s sacrifice is not in vain. At the end of the hour, the show skips forward two months into the future. We see lots of familiar faces as a gathering with a giant banner hung up in the background. Esme’s face has become a symbol of resistance.

Marcus, his son, Michelle, their friends, Esme’s sister, Vivian, and hundreds of other people have shown up to support the cause. People are sick of the purge, and now that Esme announced to the world that the purge has no effect, many citizens want to take a stand against it.

Skip to Panama, and we get to see Ryan’s three best friends enjoying life in Panama. They leave an empty seat at the table for their fallen comrade. However, they all agree to donate Ryan’s cut of the money to the resistance group.

In contrast to the resistance meeting, the show splices in a scene of Ben sharpening his knives in the same shed he was assaulted at in the very first episode of the season. He still has his god mask. It’s evident he has no plans to stop purging anytime soon.

Two factions have risen, those against the purge and those who are all for its continuance. As Darrell announces to the crowd, the NFFA is dismissing Esme’s announcement as “fake news.” And it’s all beginning to sound eerily familiar, as The Purge franchise is known for tying in real-life social themes into its stories.

I’m curious to find out where the franchise will go from here. Does the ending of this season mean that this season takes place before The Purge: Election Year? Will the resistance carry over into The Purge 5?

At the end of The Purge: Election Year, the purge was supposedly abolished by the new president-elect. The result instantly caused uprisings across the country from NFFA supporters.

Will we see the clashing of supporters and resistance members in the fifth movie? It’s looking more and more likely.

We saw the return of several familiar faces this season between Ethan Hawke and Dermot Mulroney; it feels like there is a lot of potential for the remaining characters from this season between Marcus and his family and even Ben.

I’m hopeful we might see them pop up again in the future. I know the television series is meant as an anthology, but this season’s ending truly felt like the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for the franchise as a whole.

What did you think of Season 2 of The Purge overall? Do you think the events of the finale will affect the franchise’s future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.