The Fall, the Belfast-set psychological thriller starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, is set to return for a third season. In the show, Anderson plays police detective Stella Gibson while Dornan plays serial killer Paul Spector. The show proved to be a hit not only in the United Kingdom, but also internationally through Netflix. The series, which is created by Alan Cubitt, will be concluding it’s storyline in the third season which will feature five episodes. The second season finale, which ended with a cliffhanger, was watched by 3.6 million consolidated viewers with a 12.7 percent share.
Cubitt had nothing but kind words for BBC executives Kim Shillinglaw, Ben Stephenson and Stephen Wright. According to the showrunner, season 2’s cliffhanger was made “in the hope of further exploring the characters and the themes that are at the heart of The Fall”. According to Stephenson, it was clear that Cubitt has a plan for The Fall and that greenlighting the show for a third and final season makes perfect sense. “The story is far from over. Allan has known the end game from the beginning — the cat-and-mouse game between Gillian and Jamie has one last act to play out. Who will win?” Stephenson said.
Can’t get enough of #TheFall? Neither can the BBC – it’s been renewed for Season 3 http://t.co/VXFgZfZVBO pic.twitter.com/0nhOFvvbhK
— Variety (@Variety) March 10, 2015
Jamie Dornan got his start when he was cast in the role of Spector in The Fall. He has since become a huge star because of his role as Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation. Dornan famously said that his role as a serial killer in The Fall left him scarred.
The show has been criticized for its portrayal of violence against women, however, Anderson (who is also one of the show’s producers) said that it’s actually vilifying misogyny. Talking about her character, Anderson said, “She makes it very clear how she feels about violence against women, how these women are represented and how they are perceived. She is a supporter of women and women being treated respectfully and she doesn’t mince words. It’s in her bones. I like that about her.”