Netflix's Tiger King season 2 has some big questions to answer after its debut season left a plethora of loose threads to unravel further. During their 3-hour online showcase TUDUM, Netflix released a trailer for Tiger King's second season, which comprises primarily of rehashed Tiger King footage before revealing a blink-or-you'll-miss-it clip of Joe Exotic video conferencing from a cell. Tiger King's status as a worldwide phenomenon has in no way diminished in the tumultuous year since its release, with many of the documentary's subplots still currently being dissected on social media.
Tiger King's inaugural season pulled no punches in its introduction to the seedy world of big-game zookeeping in America. Centered around Joe Exotic, the gun-toting operator of an Oklahoma big cat park, Tiger King provides ample jaw-dropping moments from the off as Joe is immediately accused of hiring someone to murder his chief rival, Big Cat's Carole Baskin. Tiger King's meteoric rise as one of Netflix's most-watched shows of all time stems from the shock value that clapping eyes on Joe Exotic and company immediately brings.
Tiger King season 2, then, must placate its now shock-expectant fanbase by providing answers to some of the biggest questions that linger over its narrative. While some persisting mysteries, such as the Crocodile House arsonist, have been officially closed by law enforcement, there remains a trove of material for the new season of the documentary to explore. Here are the biggest questions that Tiger King season 2 must answer.
Did Carole Baskin Kill Don Lewis?
One of the most salacious suggestions put forth by the first season of Tiger King is the theory that Carole Baskin killed her husband, Don Lewis. On August 18, 1997, Florida millionaire Lewis disappeared from his home in Tampa, and while his body was never found, Lewis was declared legally dead in 2002. Don's death saw Baskin inherit his fortune, which she continues to use towards her tiger sanctuary and campaigns against big game owners such as Exotic and self-proclaimed safari guru Doc Antle.
Lewis' disappearance is thought by many to be the result of foul play, with Netflix's Tiger King all too keen to probe this particular rabbit hole. Private investigators and former family members reveal multiple theories, but the one that seems to stick continually throughout is Baskin murdering her husband in cold blood to inherit his fortune. The revelation of Lewis’ two conflicting wills seemingly penned by different hands coupled with his extramarital affairs adds further credibility to the notion that Carole Baskin could have wanted him dead. Netflix's Tiger King season 1 even goes as far, with the help of the gleeful Exotic, to speculate on Baskin's body disposal methods for her unwitting husband, with neither being fed to the tigers or dissolving in a septic tank appearing particularly enticing prospects. Tiger King season 2 may yet provide a conclusion to this riddle that has sparked swathes of social media speculation, as Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department has officially reopened the case in the hope that the popularity of Tiger King might result in new leads.
Will Joe Exotic Be Freed?
Joe Exotic, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, was sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in prison after being convicted of attempting to hire two different men to kill Baskin. While the majority of Tiger King season 1 thrived off of Baskin and Exotic's barbed rivalry, the severity of Exotic's intent ensured Tiger King's first season answers its morality questions ends on a somber note. Joe Exotic is currently serving his term in Fort-Worth, Texas, with many well within their rights to query how there can be a second season of Tiger King when its main protagonist (or antagonist) is in jail.
Yet Exotic's enduring popularity following the release of Tiger King has already seen him take great strides towards freedom despite the concrete nature of his conviction. In January 2021, Exotic's team was gearing up for a party after it was alleged that former president Donald Trump would pardon the Tiger King during his final hours in the Oval Office. While this did not come to pass, Joe has since been busy, with a federal appeals court ruling in July 2021 that Exotic will receive a yet to be determined reduced sentence. While season 2 of Tiger King's story will hold little sway on Exotic's ultimate freedom, the documentary may yet bear witness to the early release of its main character.
"The Bad Guys Club"
Tiger King opens with an incendiary clip of a news anchor, who states, “There are more tigers in captivity than there are in the wild.” The intent of directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin here is to rile viewers into righteous anger at the mistreatment of animals, but the Netflix documentary never substantiates this claim. Therefore, it is wholly unclear how many other unaccredited wildlife sanctuaries exist in the United States nor exactly how many tigers are being held in captivity under questionable care. Carole Baskin does hint at a theory of additional exotic parks not covered in Tiger King season 1 by wryly stating she has a list of 28 names she considers part of "The Bad Guys Club." While these names so far remain anonymous, the brazen nature of the gamekeepers revealed in Tiger King suggests there is a willingness in the world of exotic animal captivity to be in the limelight. Tiger King season 2 would certainly up the ante by introducing a whole new lineup of tiger-taming personas into the fray, adding credence to their initial claims on the sheer number of tigers in captivity in the process.
What Happened To Joe's Tigers?
One of the biggest clarion calls in the immediate aftermath of Tiger King's first season was the fate of Joe Exotic's tigers and zoo following his incarceration. Passage's separate conviction of animal abuse is deeply troubling after no fewer than 5 dead tigers were found on his property following a police search. As of April 2020, the park is under the ownership of Jeff Lowe, Joe’s former business partner, who is the figurehead of Joe Exotics' accusatory tirades as he tries to wriggle free from prison. As of April 2020, Lowe planned to move the zoo closer to the Texan border alongside a complete rebranding of the park before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The showrunners would do well to update animal lovers everywhere on the wellbeing of Joe's former tigers in its early episodes to placate concerns for their health, as, without tigers, there is simply no Tiger King season 2.
Tiger King season 2 premieres November 17th, 2021 exclusively on Netflix.