The Serpent Queen season 2: next episode, cast and everything we know about the new season

Key art for The Serpent Queen season 2
The Serpent Queen season 2 (Image credit: Starz)

The old saying says "long live the Queen," but what happens when Queen Mother Catherine de Medici of France faces off against Queen Elizabeth I of England? Well, that's what we'll see in The Serpent Queen season 2. 

After the success of the first season of The Serpent Queen, Starz quickly granted the series another season with two-time Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton returning to the role of the infamous Serpent Queen herself. Not only will Catherine have to deal with her son, Charles IX, coming of age, but she'll also have to deal with a prophet causing problems and the arrival of England's new queen. 

Here's everything we know about The Serpent Queen season 2.

Next episode of The Serpent Queen season 2 

The Serpent Queen season 2 premiered Friday, July 12. The series airs Fridays at 8 pm ET/PT on Starz in the US, and it is available at midnight on the Starz app wherever the Starz app is available.

Here's what we know about the next new episode airing August 30:

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 8: "All Saint's Day"
"Catherine's actions lead to chaos and bloodshed, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake; Catherine's desperate measures may prevent total war, or they could unleash forces beyond her control."

The Serpent Queen is a STARZ original. If you have a cable package, you can add it as a premium channel through your cable company or you can subscribe to STARZ directly and watch anywhere. Once you have a STARZ subscription you can watch anywhere, including Roku, Apple TV, Android, Prime Video, XBOX, Samsung, LG or Vizio.

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode guide

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 1: "Grand Tour"
"Catherine aims to unite France under King Charles IX, pushing her agenda of a secular state; the Bourbons present an ambitious trade deal with Protestant England; as tensions rise on the Privy Council, the Guise's plan to reignite religious conflict."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 2: "With peace lying on a knife's edge, Catherine attempts to calm tensions by allowing the Bourbons to pursue the trade deal with England, and she halts the investigation into the Duke of Guise's arson involvement."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 3: "Death of a Prince"
"News of Edith's miracle spreads throughout Europe; the Bourbon's leverage an opportunity for England to exploit France; Catherine must return urgently to France when Anjou's temper causes damage."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 4: "Charles is ready to make his own rules, rejecting his mother's influence; with a rebellion on the rise, a mysterious plan is set, but when loyalty can be so easily swayed…miracles can happen."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 5: "Catherine relinquishes her seat on the Privy Council, but not before securing a place for Anjou; a religious war is on the horizon as Queen Elizabeth lands in the Netherlands; France's saving grace may be a marriage."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 6: "Courting the Valois"
"Queen Elizabeth's arrival sparks manipulation and intrigue within the Valois Court. A dramatic fencing match for the Queen's affections ends in a shocking revelation, leaving the Court in turmoil."

The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 7: "A House Divided"
"Tensions escalate as Edith and her followers wield newfound power while Catherine grapples with political manipulations and betrayals; as Queen Elizabeth's schemes unravel, Catherine must strategize to secure power and navigate a web of deceit."

The Serpent Queen season 2 premise

Here's the official synopsis of The Serpent Queen season 2 from Starz: 

"In season two, Catherine de Medici is Queen Regent of France now that her son, Charles IX has come of age. Distracted by the personal conflicts of the Valois children, a new mysterious prophet named Edith gains a loyal following who vows to challenge the current religious establishment, sparking tension across the country. Feeling threatened by the rising strain, the divided court turn to their own schemes for selfish benefit. The Guises commit unholy acts while the Bourbons turn to a familiar foreign sovereign, Queen Elizabeth I of England in hopes of personal gain.

"As France falls into political and religious turmoil, Catherine struggles to maintain her power, but The Serpent Queen will do whatever she needs to regain control."

The Serpent Queen season 2 cast

Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead) returns to the role of The Serpent Queen, Catherine de Medici. Joining her this season is Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Chevalier) as Queen Elizabeth I. 

Here's a look at the returning cast:

  • Danny Kirrane (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Don’t Forget the Driver) as Louis de Bourbon
  • Ray Panthaki (Away, Colette) as Charles Guise
  • Raza Jaffrey (Homeland, Code Black) as Francoise de Guise
  • Enzo Cilenti (Free Fire, The Last Tycoon) as Ruggieri
  • Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones, The Good Karma Hospital) as Aabis
  • Ruby Bentall (Firebrand, Industry) as Angelica
  • Beth Goddard (Manhunt, Des) as Antoinette Guise
  • Ludivine Sagnier (Lupin, The Young Pope) as Diane de Poitiers
  • Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding, Adult Material) as Charles V

Joining the cast as series regulars are Angus Imrie (Emma, Fleabag), Emma McDonald (Moonhaven, Low Rider), Stanley Morgan (I Used to Be Famous, The Sandman), and Philippine Velge (Station Eleven, Summer of 85). 

Rosalie Craig (1899, Macbeth), Isobel Jesper Jones (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself), Bill Milner (Son of Rambow, The Flatshare), Ashley Thomas (Them, 24: Legacy) and Alexandre Willaume (The Wheel of Time, 1899) join in recurring roles.

The Serpent Queen season 2 trailer

Take a look at the trailer for The Serpent Queen season 2 below:

The Serpent Queen | Season 2 Official Trailer | STARZ - YouTube The Serpent Queen | Season 2 Official Trailer | STARZ - YouTube
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Sarabeth Pollock
Editorial Content Producer

 

Sarabeth joined the What to Watch team in May 2022. An avid TV and movie fan, her perennial favorites are The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, true crime documentaries on Netflix and anything from Passionflix. You’ve Got Mail, Ocean's Eleven and Signs are movies that she can watch all day long. She's also a huge baseball fan, and hockey is a new favorite.  

When she's not working, Sarabeth hosts the My Nights Are Booked Podcast and a blog dedicated to books and interviews with authors and actors. She also published her first novel, Once Upon an Interview, in 2022.