‘The Outlaws’ Stars Talk Renewal Chances, Explain Largely Absent Christopher Walken

Stephen Merchant, Christopher Walken, and Jessica Gunning in 'The Outlaws'
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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Outlaws Season 3.]

The Outlaws third season raised the stakes on Prime Video as the titular group of minor criminals found themselves at the center of drug kingpin The Dean’s (Claes Bang) crosshairs.

As the episodes unfolded though, the collection of community payback friends and their officer Diane (Jessica Gunning) managed to outsmart the big bad criminal as they obtained the proper evidence to help keep The Dean in prison despite his season-long attempt to free himself. But will there be more to this story?

“Well, I’d never say never, but certainly I feel like this does conclude very pleasingly,” series creator, star, director, and writer Stephen Merchant tells TV Insider. “Whenever I finish a project, I’m so burnt out that the idea of returning to that seems impossible to me. But I do like the characters enormously and the world.”

Gamba Cole, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stephen Merchant, Rhianne Barreto, Jessica Gunning, Charles Babalola, Darren Boyd, and Clare Perkins for 'The Outlaws' Season 3

ALISTAIR HEAP

Still, Merchant makes a point: “I just don’t know how long they could be doing community service.” In other words, the thing that binds this ragtag team of individuals together can’t go on forever.

One member of the team who was largely absent from the series in Season 3 was Christopher Walken, who had a series regular role in the first two chapters. Ultimately, his one-episode cameo as his American character Frank boiled down to scheduling. “Unfortunately it was the schedule. It was always complicated. He was doing Dune [Part Two] and Severance and then the [strikes]. So it meant that he wasn’t able to shoot with us for that whole period.” Still, Merchant says, “I’m just glad we were able to get him in it.”

While Frank might not have been as big a part of the action, Gunning got to step up, partaking in some criminal activity as Diane, which was a bit of a jump for the rule-following character. “I was in the writers’ room for Season 3 and so it was interesting to have a peek behind the scenes, as it were, and to help try and weave all of this season’s crime storyline together,” Gunning shares. “It felt like a natural progression that this time round Diane would get involved in the mix, and I loved all of those scenes when it was the whole gang back together — I’ve missed that bunch.”

On whether she’d like to return for more of The Outlaws, Gunning, who recently broke out for her performance in Baby Reindeer, adds, “I love playing Diane so much, and having Harry [Trevaldwyn] on board this season as Diane’s sidekick made it even more special.”

Only time will tell if Merchant and co-creator Elgin James will want to bring the series back, but as Merchant mentions, above, Season 3’s ending is pretty satisfactory as far as conclusions go, with the titular group of criminals finding peace among their friends and family as they move forward with the next chapters of their lives.

What did you think of the ending? Let us know in the comments section, below, and stream The Outlaws anytime on Prime Video.

The Outlaws, Seasons 1-3, Streaming now, Prime Video