Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft's cliffhanger sets up a second season that takes Lara a step closer to being the "confident, witty woman from the '90s"

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
(Image credit: Netflix)

Spoilers for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft follow. If you haven't finished the Netflix series, look away now.

For once, Lara Croft gets a happy ending – or so we thought. Hayley Atwell's intrepid adventurer may seem more settled and surrounded by the likes of Zip, Jonah, and Cam by the time the Netflix series comes to a close, but a surprise twist soon puts her on the hunt for her missing friend, Sam.

As Lara breaks into her apartment, we discover that Sam (who returns from the 'Survivor' trilogy of games, but is never shown on-screen) is missing. Curiously, it appears Sam has been on the tail of several stolen treasures, with newspaper clippings reporting on a black market trade emanating from dozens of countries.

With Lara and Sam's relationship the one remaining dynamic that remains fractured by The Legend of Lara Croft's end, it appears the second season is heading down darker and more personal territory. And it's fertile ground – brought over from Lara and Sam's stories across multiple mediums – that showrunner Tasha Huo is keen to dig into.

"I am a huge fan of Sam from the video games and the comic books," Huo tells GamesRadar+. "I'm excited to potentially jump into that story with season two. I sort of view each season as being a new lesson Lara needs to learn to become the woman from the '90s."

Huo continues, "So whatever season two throws at her, it's going to be a new challenge to further her development away from the grief-stricken, vulnerable Lara from the 'Survivor' series and into this confident, witty woman from the '90s."

While a second season hasn't been officially announced as of writing, a 2023 article from The Hollywood Reporter suggested the Netflix series received a 'two-season order'. Let's hope this is one legend that continues on for some time to come as we bridge the gap between Lara's early adventures and the icon she would become.

All eight episodes of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft are now streaming on Netflix.

For more, check out our verdict on the series in the Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft review. Then dive into these picks for the best anime on Netflix and the new anime you should be watching in 2024. 

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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