How 'Elle' Sets Up Season 2
Elle (2026) is finally here! If you’re like me and have already raced through the eight-episode first season, don’t fret! Prime Video renewed the show for a second season well before it debuted. So, there is more of Elle Woods’ (Lexi Minetree) story to anticipate. That renewal really is a relief after Elle Season 1 because there are some character-driven cliffhangers.
The show does such a great job of reintroducing Elle, her family, and even Bruiser. Minetree’s performance is so flawless that it really feels like you’re meeting Elle before Reese Witherspoon takes her to Harvard Law. Not to mention, Elle introduces a cast of new characters in Elle’s life, and I really fell for them all in the end. Even the more antagonistic figures were exciting to watch along the way. So what could be next for Elle and her new friends in Elle Season 2? I have thoughts!
Rainier High School Is Shaking Things Up
Elle never loses her “fun, fearless” qualities, and the students of Rainier High don’t change entirely either. Smartly, Elle doesn’t set out with that goal. Instead, it’s about the little ways that people impact each other. For example, Elle’s friends go through with the Winter (In)Formal. It’s not because they want to prove they can do it without Elle, but because they want to have the dance. Before Elle, they didn’t even think of that possibility. There are also touches of Elle’s influence in their intentional choice to make sure the snowflake decorations are just right.
Assumedly, those relationships will continue to evolve at Rainier High in the second season. By discovering the truth about Principal Anderson (Matt Oberg) and Dean Wilson (James Van Der Beek), the new friend group also ushers in real change for their school. As far as I’m concerned, Ms. Burke would make an excellent acting principal, with Donna (Amy Pietz) in the front office. That dynamic duo would be unstoppable.
It also feels like the right answer to the problem. The women hold the place together before, amid, and after all of that. Essentially, the second season has the opportunity to explore what a new era at Rainier High looks like. Maybe there will even be a full social calendar for the school year, which gives Elle plenty to work with.
Eva and Wyatt Have Some Things to Discuss
Likewise, Elle seems interested in exploring a new chapter for Eva (June Diane Raphael) and Wyatt (Tom Everett Scott). The season never follows Wyatt to work, though it’s his job that relocates the Woods family from Los Angeles to Seattle. Instead, Elle consistently mentions that work is a lot slower for Wyatt in Seattle. At one point, Eva even tries to appeal to crowdsource clients for Wyatt at the hospital. Eventually, though, Eva finds a path that gives her life in Seattle a spark that makes her happy. She helps Dean with his image as he runs for mayor.
Eva is so focused on the outward presentation that she doesn’t want to see or believe that Dean is a corrupt politician. Similarly, she only sees Dustin (Zac Looker) as a list of stereotypes based on his outward appearance, rather than the nuances of his character. Elle cleverly weaves all of this into a story about Eva, too, who hasn’t really looked inward at what she thinks about herself beyond the superficial.
In their best scene (and Wyatt’s most serious) of the season, Eva tells Wyatt, “I’ve let your career dictate my life,” suggesting the future will be different. The second season will have to explore what that means for their marriage. It’s worth noting that they’re still together in Legally Blonde (2001). Maybe Eva continues to reflect and starts to be as fun and fearless as she wants Elle to be. I’d like to see that!
‘Elle’ Has Second Chances and a Love Triangle
The season finale brings Kimberly (Chandler Kinney) and Liz (Gabrielle Policano) back together, teasing that their romance will get a second chance in Elle Season 2. This season only introduces the fact that Kimberly’s family is conservative, and Shannon’s (Danielle Chand) mother’s death emphasizes how strained Kimberly’s relationships with her parents are. Hopefully, to understand her even better, Elle Season 2 will spend more time with Kimberly, maybe even introducing her dynamics with her parents on screen. Regardless, I’m rooting for her and Liz!
Elle’s first season also sets up a love triangle between Elle, Dustin, and Miles (Jacob Moskovitz). Literally! It’s in the blocking after Elle and Dustin kiss–Miles stands between them. Elle’s feelings for Dustin sort of snuck up on her throughout the season. She’s a bit shocked that she invited him to the dance and that she feels something when she learns that Dustin and Madison (Jessica Belkin) kissed.
Elle’s feelings for Miles have been more consistent since their meet-cute. So things are complicated, which is ideal for Elle heading into Season 2. I appreciate that the show does a good job of representing both sides of this love triangle. I like both Dustin and Miles as people, regardless of their relationship to Elle. I also like both of them for and with Elle. So, I’m along for wherever Elle wants to go next with these characters.
