Release date | Plot | Season 1 ending explained | Cast | Trailer | Where to watch
If your idea of perfect television involves lavish costumes, forbidden romance, scandalous family feuds and enough emotional turmoil to fill a Victorian drawing room, then you'll be very pleased to hear that The Forsytes is backkkkk.
After becoming one of the biggest period dramas of last year, the hit 5 series returns for season 2, continuing the story of the wealthy Forsyte family as love, loyalty and ambition threaten to tear them apart. And if the season 1 finale left you staring at the screen shouting "you can't leave it there!", you're definitely not alone.
Here's everything we know so far about The Forsytes season 2.
When will The Forsytes season 2 be released?
Surpriseeeee, season 2 of The Forsytes dropped at 9pm on 5 on Thursday 22nd October so you can now watch allll episodes in one sitting!
The new series consists of six episodes and picks up after the dramatic events of season 1, following the next chapter in the lives of Jolyon, Louisa, Irene, Soames and the rest of the famously complicated Forsyte family.
What is The Forsytes season 2 about?
While full plot details are still being kept under wraps, season 2 looks set to explore the fallout from several major events that changed the Forsyte family forever.
After leaving Frances to be with Louisa and his newly discovered children, Jo must face the consequences of choosing his heart over his responsibilities. Meanwhile, Soames and Irene's marriage appears to become even more strained as their very different views on love, freedom and family continue to clash.
The surprise introduction of Harry Falconer in the season 1 finale also suggests there are still plentyyyy of family secrets waiting to be uncovered. Writer Debbie Horsfield has already hinted that his arrival could have major consequences moving forward.
Expect more romance, betrayal, power struggles and enough tense dinner-table conversations to make you very grateful you're not a Forsyte.
The Forsytes season 1 ending explained
Warning: majorrrr spoilers for season 1 below.
Season 1 ended with several huge questions hanging over the family.
Perhaps the biggest was Jo's decision to leave Frances after discovering that his former love Louisa had secretly given birth to his twins years earlier. Unable to turn his back on his newfound children, Jo chose to build a future with Louisa instead, despite the enormous cost to his reputation and relationships.
Soames and Irene's marriage took a darker turn. What had begun as a whirlwind romance increasingly felt built on control rather than love, with Irene appearing trapped by the life Soames envisioned for her.
And then there was the biggest shock of all…
In the final moments, family matriarch Ann revealed she had a previously unknown grandson named Harry Falconer, instantlyyyy opening a brand-new mystery for the series to explore!
What we'd like to see in season 2
With so many storylines left unresolved, there are plenty of questions we'd love season 2 to answer:
- Can Jo and Louisa actually make their relationship work now real life has replaced romantic fantasy?
- Will Frances seek revenge after Jo's betrayal?
- Can Irene ever find happiness in her marriage to Soames?
- What is the truth behind Harry Falconer and how will his arrival affect the family?
- Who will eventually inherit control of the Forsyte legacy?
- Will the family manage to repair its fractures, or are things only just beginning to fall apart?
If season 1 taught us anything, it's that a peaceful future probably isn't on the cards.
Who is in the cast of The Forsytes season 2?
Expected returning cast includes:
- Danny Griffin (Fate: the Winx Saga) plays Jolyon Forsyte, a man torn between duty and heart, whose decisions ripple through the family.
- Joshua Orpin (Titans, Home and Away) plays Soames Forsyte, the ambitious cousin whose charm masks a calculating nature and unyielding desire.
- Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark, The Couple Next Door) plays Louisa Byrne, Jolyon’s former love, whose reappearance challenges old loyalties and hidden passions.
- Tuppence Middleton (War & Peace, Sense8) plays Frances Forsyte, whose loyalty to family and own moral compass shapes much of the household’s dynamics.
- Millie Gibson (Doctor Who) plays Irene Heron, the free-spirited dancer whose independence sparks both attraction and tension in the Forsyte family.
The full cast list is yet to be announced but be sure to check back here for all the deets!
The trailer for The Forsytes season 2:
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Where to watch The Forsytes season 2 UK:
You can watch all episodes of The Forsytes season 2 now on 5.
If you're in the mood for even more corsets, scandal and complicated family trees, why not explore some of our favourite period dramas next?
