Ripple star Ian Harding has shared new details about the potential future for his character, Nate, and his complex relationship with Kris, played by Julia Chan, promising a “very organic” next chapter should the Netflix series return for a second season.
The actor’s comments come as the heartfelt drama, which follows four strangers in New York whose lives intersect, has found a growing audience on Netflix after originally being developed for Hallmark+.
A Deliberate Ending and a New Beginning
The first season of Ripple concluded with Nate making a significant personal decision. After navigating a cancer diagnosis and a strained marriage, he chose to hit pause on both a potential reconciliation with his wife, Claire, and a budding romance with Kris. Instead, he left to pursue an experimental treatment out of town, a move Ian Harding defends as a healthy step for the character.
“I think he should be with himself,” Harding explained. “He’s [had] this wild journey where he has to address so much about himself… it’s not fair, in his mind, to drag either of these people with him through this experience when it’s not guaranteed what the outcome is going to be.”
This ending set a deliberate stage for future stories. Harding revealed he has already spoken with series creator Michele Giannusa about what could come next. He teased that in a hypothetical second season, Nate and Kris would “meet again in this sort of new landscape that they find themselves in,” describing the planned direction as “rich” and one that will “make total sense”.
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The Foundation of an On-Screen Bond
The compelling dynamic between Nate and Kris is rooted in a strong off-screen connection between the actors. Harding and Julia Chan, who plays the former music executive, discovered they shared a close mutual friend: Lucy Hale, Harding’s longtime co-star from Pretty Little Liars.
Their professional chemistry was deepened when Chan bravely shared with Harding her own recent real-life battle with cancer, adding a layer of profound authenticity to their scenes together.
“There was no acting really. We were saying words, but the connection was instant,” Harding said of working with Chan.
Awaiting the Greenlight and Looking Ahead
While fan demand for more of the series is clear, Netflix has not yet officially announced a renewal for Ripple. Harding has acknowledged the encouraging early signs, stating there are “nice rumblings” and that “things feel tilted in that direction,” but he also stressed the importance of strong viewership numbers.
Looking forward, Harding suggested that a second season would explore Nate stepping into a “new life phase,” one fundamentally shaped by the hurdles he overcame in the first season.
“One hurdle is overcome… and now who is he? I think we’re going to ratchet things up,” he hinted, suggesting a season focused on emotional and personal growth with bigger storytelling swings.
The entire first season of Ripple, featuring all eight episodes, is available to stream globally on Netflix.
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