The first season of Hysteria! was a spooky ride — but where does the show go from here?
Hysteria!, which started streaming on Friday, October 18, is set in the 1980s and revolves around the era’s Satanic Panic. At the center of the show is a high school heavy metal band of outcasts who realize they can capitalize on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by building a reputation as a Satanic metal band. The plan doesn’t go as expected when a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings and reported supernatural activity triggers a witch hunt that leads directly back to them.
Emjay Anthony stars as the main character Dylan who ends up way over his head. Anthony was thrilled to bring the story to life because of how different Hysteria! felt compared to other shows.
“It’s not cheap. There’s none of those moments where the killer is right behind them and they trip over nothing. There’s nothing that is cheap horror,” he exclusively told Us Weekly. “There’s no jump scares. It’s just really actually scary. And it is something that you think about. It’s something that sits with you and then you don’t think about it until you go to sleep.”
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In addition to Dylan’s story line, his mother Linda (Julie Bowen), starts to question whether her son is involved in something sinister while horror icon Bruce Campbell makes an appearance as Chief Dandridge, who tries to get to the bottom of the situation. Linda’s situation becomes dire when she appears to become possessed by the devil.
Dylan and his friends realize there’s nothing wrong with Linda except the mob mentality fear affecting her emotional state. But Hysteria! still hints at something more sinister at large in the small Michigan town.
The cast and crew of Hysteria! answered some burning questions about season 1 — and where the story would go from here:
Is There Actually Something Evil Taking Over the Town?
While Hysteria! clarified that none of the adults were possessed, Tracy (Anna Camp) spotted a figure that resembled the devil. That could be a visual representation of her descent into darkness — or it could be real.
“I definitely think they were possessed. I think they got it out of their bodies, but I think it’s still in the town,” Anthony teased. “So there’s definitely still a lot of stuff that needs to get finished up with season 2. There’s definitely still a lot of questions that we need answered. That’s why we need a season 2.”
What Threat Would Be at Large in Season 2?
Executive producers Matthew Scott Kane and David A. Goodman spoke to Us about what fans can expect in a possible second season.
“The threat will still be alive by the end of the season,” Kane teased before Goodman added, “We’re going to get to the end of the season, and we’ll have wrapped some things up. The audience will feel like, ‘OK, that is the end of that story.’ But then there will also be plenty of places to go with these characters.”
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Will Dylan and Judith Reconcile?
Dylan’s attempt to win over Judith (Jessica Treska) is what set a lot of his personal chaos in motion. While Dylan learned his lesson by the end of the season, the same could not be said for Judith.
“She’s definitely always been crazy. I think that Dylan has seen the light — so to speak — and that he’s matured past that,” Anthony told Us. “But who knows? Love is blind, so maybe he’ll make some more bad decisions. I wouldn’t be surprised.”
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“I would prefer him not to make a bunch of stupid decisions again. But I’m sure if that happened that there wouldn’t be a show,” Anthony noted. “I was super curious to see what Matthew would do for season 2. I don’t want to spoil any of his ideas, but I’d just be really curious to see where it goes as well.”
Anthony had nothing but praise for Kane, adding, “He’s just such a great showrunner. If you have the smallest question about what time it is during a scene, he’s just on it. He’s really good at explaining everything and making sure that you have everything to go tackle the scene. And I was just worried that Dylan was a bad guy. I was worried about people hating Dylan. But it was definitely very helpful information that he told me.”
Despite having some nerves about Dylan’s journey, Anthony felt supported by Kane’s perspective of the story.
“He told me some things that made me feel a lot better about the character and just made it a lot easier to play,” he concluded. “He really is just the best guy. He’s one of the best showrunners I ever had the pleasure working with and he’s just so personable. He really cares so much because the show is his baby. We’re bringing it to life. So we’re just really lucky to be a part of that.”
Anthony’s costar Chiara Aurelia had a similar experience when bringing Jordy to life.
“Matthew has said to me that Jordy was the most based off of him in high school. So he was the bass player in the metal band in his high school, and he has a very sarcastic and dry sense of humor,” Aurelia shared with Us. “He told me — which was such a huge honor — that the first time that he’d envisioned Jordy’s deadpan face and then saw me looking across at him while we were on set, he said it was a moment that really meant something and sank in for him. So it was such an honor.”
She continued: “Honestly, when I first read the character, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m very bubbly and this is so different from me. I don’t know if it sits with me, I don’t know if I can do it.’ And I love her by the end. She’s my favorite.”
Where Will Jordy Go From Here After Deciding to Save Tracy?
Jordy’s biggest enemy throughout the season was Camp’s character. However, when Tracy almost died after staying behind as the church burned down, Jordy came and saved the day.
“[That decision] is open to interpretation. I think Jordy and Tracy have a really interesting relationship that kind of exists throughout the season,” she noted. “There’s a lot of ups and downs and ebbs and flows. But I think maybe Jordy sees some humanity in Tracy.”
What Other Questions Need to Be Answered?
“There’s a couple questions that were left. There’s some complexities to some of her relationships in the show, so I’d love to see a little bit more of where all that goes,” Aurelia continued. “Let’s see what happens with Tracy because she needs to get her payback for all the bad choices she’s made.”
Bowen had a similar response, telling Us, “I would be very curious to hear how the audience feels. I’ve got questions.”
