The very first coronavirus lockdown was a time in which many of us spent a lot of time at home, wrapped up warm in front of the television. So, when Netflix dropped their original series Tiger King, which focused on the rivalry between zoo owner Joe Exotic, and animal rights activist Carole Baskin, millions of us across the globe couldn’t help but watch.
It became the ultimate water cooler topic of conversation; or it would’ve been, had we been able to stand together at a water cooler.
Social media became jam-packed with memes and references to the series and, a reunion show hosted by comedian Joel McHale was even commissioned.
So, exactly where will the series pick up and what has the reaction been like? Here’s what we know…
Joe Exotic’s prison sentence
As we saw at the end of the first season of Tiger King, Exotic was arrested and accused of hiring two men to murder Baskin, following a long-standing feud between the eccentric pair. The following year, he was found guilty on two counts of attempted murder, as well as being guilty on multiple charges of animal abuse.
Sentenced to 22 years in prison in Fort Worth, Texas, that is where he remains to this day, following a failed plea to former President Donald Trump for a pardon.
An appeals court has however since ruled that Exotic's sentence should be reduced following his diagnosis with "aggressive" prostate cancer.
Carole Baskin is suing Netflix
Having previously describing the Netflix series as "a reality show dumpster fire", Baskin isn't happy that footage of her is being used in the upcoming second outing. So angry in fact is she, that she and husband Howard launched legal action against the streaming platform for an alleged breach of contract, after seeing the Season 2 trailer in which they are featured.
Netflix has since responded, saying the Baskins have "no claim" because they signed releases back in 2019 that "explicitly permit" the use of footage in later projects, in addition to Tiger King Season 1.
Alongside Royal Goode Productions, they have called for the legal claim to be denied on these grounds.
A Florida judge had already denied a motion for a temporary restraining order which would have blocked the footage of the Baskins in the second season, with the ruling that the couple "are not entitled to the extraordinary remedy of a temporary restraining order, which would be entered before Defendants have had an adequate opportunity to respond.”
Who else is returning for Season 2?
Many familiar faces will be making a comeback in the show’s second season. Along with the aforementioned Baskins and Exotic, the enigmatic Jeff Lowe will feature, as well as Tim Stark, Allen Glover and James Garretson.
Lowe took over ownership of Exotic’s zoo when he had been incarcerated but, he lost his licence and was forced to vacate the premises within 120 days, back in October 2020.
Exactly where we’ll pick up on his story remains to be seen but, in the recently-released teaser, he certainly looks on top of the world. Whether we'll get to see that world come crashing down is something we’ll have to watch to find out.
Baskin was then granted ownership of Exotic's former zoo, which she went on to sell.
When will Tiger King 2 debut?
Tiger King returns to Netflix for Season 2 on November 17th, 2021. You can check out the latest trailer for the series below, ahead of release.
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