WARNING: Spoilers ahead for the conclusion of "Ripley" Netflix's new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley" brings one of literature's most notorious con artists to the small screen. Directed by Oscar winner Steven Zaillian, the eight-episode series stars "Fleabag's" "Hot Priest" Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley. Tom is hired by a shipping company sergeant and meets wayward heir Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn).

The Netflix series is a faithful adaptation of Highsmith's novel, and viewers will follow Mr. Ripley throughout Italy as he is hunted by authorities as a suspect in the murders of Dickie and Freddie Miles (Elliot Sumner). Although "Ripley" is billed as a miniseries, fans are wondering if the series can continue, especially since there are so many other "Ripleyad" books that could be brought to life. Read on for everything we know about the possibility of a "Ripley" Season 2.

By the final episode of "Ripley," the leading man has reshaped himself twice. First, he impersonates Dickie after killing an inspiring painter when it is revealed that he tried to escape Tom. Later, when Dickie's friend Freddy calls, Tom kills the second man to cover his tracks. Soon after, Tom, impersonating Dickie, is under suspicion for the deaths of Freddy and "Tom," who was reported missing after a fateful boat trip. (All of these mistaken identities are easier to believe when one remembers that the show is set in the 50s, when there was no Internet.)

After escaping from the Roman police as Dickie, Tom regains his identity and goes to Venice, where he turns himself in to the police. Upon being visited by Inspector Lavini (Maurizio Lombardi), Tom disguises himself with a false beard and wig to assure the detective that Tom Ripley is alive and well. Tom also gets Ravini to admit that Dickie was depressed and repressed his sexual desires, leading the authorities to believe that Dickie may have committed suicide.

Tom, however, has to deal with Dickie's girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning) and the elder Harbet Greenleaf, who has arrived in Italy with a private detective (played by Boquim Woodbine) in tow. Tom pulls two more moves to bring it all together and establish the storyline of Dickie's suicide. First, Marge finds the ring that Tom tore off of Dickie's body, but she believes Tom's story that Dickie gave it to her before he killed himself. Then, in a conversation with a private detective, Tom portrays Dickie as a repressed man with no talent who disappeared after Tom turned him down. This "confession" exonerates Tom of everything and he goes to live in a luxurious villa in Venice where Dickie's stolen Picasso adorns the walls.

At the end of "Ripley," Inspector Lavini finally receives Marge's published travel book, My Atrani. Turning to the book's dedication to Dickie, Lavini finally sees the real deceased face and realizes that he has never met Dickie. Instead, he realizes that he has been thoroughly, brilliantly, played.

Ripley has been considered a limited series since it was first acquired by Netflix, but many other miniseries have been renewed after critical and ratings hits. (As of April 8, Netflix has yet to address fan speculation, but the streaming giant has been known to wait a couple of months before deciding on ratings or potential award nominations. However, there are clues that the Ripley team is at least positive about the upcoming season.

Before landing on Netflix, the series was first announced as a Showtime series, starring Scott and written and directed by Zaillian. Variety reported in September 2019 that the show was planned as an "ongoing series" at the time, possibly adapting some of Highsmith's Ripley sequel novels. If Scott and Zaillian are still willing to return to Ripley's world, this could be a strong case for those hoping for a season two.

In an interview with Collider on April 6, Zaillian spoke about whether he is open to continuing the series. Of the "Ripley's" series, he said, "There are other books out there, and they are very good. I would do [Ripley] again if I could, but that means I don't know if I could do it for another five years." But in terms of this character continuing, yes. Tom Ripley has undergone many changes over the course of five books, all of which are interesting. And the others have been made into movies. So, yes, under the right circumstances."

As Zaillian noted to Collider, there is much more to Ripley's subject matter. Highsmith has written five books starring the iconic con man ("The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Ripley Under Ground," "Ripley's Game," "The Boy Who Followed Ripley," and "Ripley Under Water") ). Ripley draws from all five books, but the overall arc follows the first book from 1955, so there are plenty of stories to delve into in future seasons. One interesting argument for continuing the series is that the last two books have never been made into movies.

The finale of "Ripley" even contains hints of where the series might go next, and even mentions another "Ripley" series adaptation. In a notable cameo, John Malkovich appears as Reeves. Reeves is Tom's new friend, who identifies himself as an art dealer, but soon discovers that he is a fellow con artist. Malkovich played Ripley in the 2002 Italian film Ripley's Game, an adaptation of the 1974 novel of the same name.

In a direct homage to the third Ripley's film, Reeves gives Tom a false passport with a new identity, T. Fanshawe. In this film, Tom keeps Dickey's belongings (including paintings) in Venice under the name Robert S. Fanshawe, leading to speculation that Dickey is still alive and hiding out under that name. If this means that we will have a chance to see Tom Ripley's art smithing days in the future, I'm all for it.