After months of silence, some wonder if Joe Pickett Season 3 will ever be released.
The critically acclaimed Paramount+ western rounded out its second season in July 2023, following the adventures of game warden Joe Pickett as he patrols the area around Yellowstone National Park.
Based on the series of novels by C.J. Box, Joe Pickett earned a stellar 100% on Rotten Tomatoes across its two seasons and has been heralded as one of the best westerns to come to TV recently.
Is Joe Pickett Season 3 Being Planned?
Despite killer critical reception, it does not look like Paramount's Joe Pickett will be renewed for Season 3.
According to an October 2023 report from TVLine, the series was officially canceled following the end of Season 2.
This came after Paramount+ sent fans into a fervor during the summer, listing the Season 2 finale as the 'series finale' without any cancelation news being made public.
At the time, a Paramount spokesperson told TVLine, "There is no renewal news yet" but did not confirm Season 2 was the end.
It remains unknown why exactly the series was eventually axed; however, seeing as it was originally conceived as a Spectrum Original before making its way to Paramount+, it could have something to do with the transition from streamers and not being able to capture the level of audience attention to warrant a third season.
What Could Happen in Joe Pickett Season 3?
There has been no official news on a Joe Pickett Season 3, but given the near-universal praise it has received since its 2021 debut, there is always the chance the neo-western comes back in some capacity somewhere down the line.
If it were to get picked up for Season 3, the series could go in myriad directions.
The first two seasons of the Paramount+ show are immersed in C.J. Box's first book in the Joe Pickett series (Open Season). So, the logical jump would be to focus on Box's second novel, Savage Run.
The 2002 book centers on the death of an environmentalist in and around Yellowstone and Joe's investigation of said case.
What benefits the Joe Pickett creatives is the sheer volume of stories they could adapt based on this character. Box has released 14 books in the Joe Pickett series of novels, and each feels primed for streaming adaptation.
Of course, there are also hanging plot threads from Season 2 that could be followed up on for a potential Season 3.
The biggest narrative string waiting to be pulled concerns the mysterious Mark V group of assassins. While various members of the clandestine organization revealed themselves throughout Season 1 and 2, audiences never got to see who was behind the group (only knowing his name is Nemecek).
If Joe Pickett were to get picked up for a third season, one could almost guarantee the leader of Mark V will be fully unmasked, playing heavily into whatever dramatic events are about to unfold.
Joe Pickett Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Paramount+.
