‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ Season 2 Is No Microdose Of Star Power Or Emotional Trauma

Nicole Kidman is back in her role as Masha Dmitrichenko, a Russian wellness guru slash pseudo-therapist with questionable ethics and a ton of emotional baggage of her own. Though Nine Perfect Strangers is based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name and originally planned as a limited series, show runners are taking a page out of The White Lotus‘ book, and returning with an anthology approach that brings us to a new exclusive retreat with an entirely new cast of characters.

The first two episodes dropped today (5/21) at midnight EST, with future episodes releasing weekly each Wednesday. Here’s everything we know so far about the world of Zauberwald, the German alpine retreat replacing Tranquillum House, and it’s nine new perfect guests:

THE STAFF OF ZAUBERWALD

Lena Olin Is Masha’s Mentor Helena

Alias fans will immediately recognize Olin from her role as Sydney Bristow’s mother and KGB sleeper agent, Irina Derevko, and her character in this series, Helena, serves as Masha’s benefactor and savior, offering her an escape from investigations and regulations as a chance to restart her work in a remote European getaway that just happens to be Helena’s ancestral inheritance, as well as a source of financial strain. She first introduced Masha to psilocybin following the death of her daughter, Tatiana, but it’s clear that in the present day, she has reservations about Masha’s extreme and questionable methods.

Lucas Englander is biochemist Martin

Englander has featured in The Witcher, Catherine the Great, and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and joins the cast as a scientific and methodical foil to Masha’s liberal and spontaneous approach to treating patients. There is an obvious power struggle between the two, as well as a subtle sexual tension that isn’t fully explained. I predict these two will eventually reach a boiling point, while more context around their backstory is revealed.

THE NINE STRANGERS:

Annie Murphy is Imogen

While Murphy will always be known and loved for her role as Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek, Imogen signals a clear departure from the iconic character. While Imogen shares Alexis’ privileged background, the ditzy blonde act is replaced with a brunette bob and a much larger vocabulary. Stereotypes aside, her arrival at Zauberwald and hyper-intellectual psycho-babble about Jungian archetypes sends a distinct message about who this character is, and potentially drops some Easter eggs in the process.

Christine Baranski is Victoria

Baranski’s filmography is so expansive, you’ll probably recognize her face before you realize where you know it from, be it Cruel Intentions, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Mamma Mia!, or The Gilded Age. Here she plays Imogen’s mother, Victoria, a woman who has been married several times, shows up to the retreat with a much younger new beau, unpaid debts, and an end of life planner. There is much more to be revealed about her current situation, as well as her relationship with her daughter.

Aras Aydın is Matteo

Aydın is a Turkish actor with several lead television roles in his native language, but this series marks his American debut as Victoria’s impromptu date to Zauberwald. Beyond his Italian name, we don’t know his exact background, except that English is not his first language, and he lost his parents several years ago in a war. The lack of background underscores Imogen’s dismissive nature towards him, and potentially Victoria’s shallow escapism from her very real problems. Don’t be surprised if he turns out to be the most complicated guest of all.

Murray Bartlett is Brian

The White Lotus alum with a filmography ranging from soap operas like All My Children and Guiding Light to series like The Last of Us, Bartlett is the perfect pick for a nuanced character like cancelled children’s show host Brian. Our first impression of his anger management issues and entitled ways are misleading, but when we realize his missing luggage (a puppet named Jessie) carries sentimental and not monetary value, we realize all is not what it seems at Zauberwald.

Dolly de Leon is Agnes

De Leon is a Filipino actress whose work in American television includes the live action series Avatar: The Last Airbender, and her character, former nun Agnes, may be the most mysterious of this season’s batch. We know she traveled from very far away to reach the retreat, and had to swap dirty clothes for a Zauberwald uniform, which led Brian to mistake her for a member of the staff. She disrupts traditional expectations of what a nun should be by screaming loudly and referring to god with female pronouns.

King Princess as Tina

Credited by her musical stage name, which you may recognize from her hit single ‘1950’, Mikaela Mullaney Straus makes her acting debut in the series as a queer piano prodigy with a creative block. She’s been led to believe Zauberwald is a romantic spa getaway for her and her partner, and has entered into an early retirement after facing immense pressure to perform since childhood, during which she appeared on Brian’s show and shared her dream of becoming an astronaut.

Maisie Richardson-Sellers is Wolfie

The British actress is known for her roles in The CW series The Originals, Netflix’s The Kissing Booth 2, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and joins the cast as Tina’s concerned partner, Wolfie. We don’t know much about her background except that Tina’s retirement has negatively impacted her own career, and she is persistently, and at times dishonestly, trying to break through her creative block for her. She seeks guidance and approval from Agnes and Brian, instead of speaking honestly with her partner.

Henry Golding as Peter

Our favorite rom-com darling from Crazy Rich Asians, Last Christmas, and the Simple Favor films joins the cast as Peter, the son of a billionaire looking to attend the retreat with his powerful father, but disappointed by his late arrival. He connects immediately with Imogen over lack of cell service and their parental frustrations. He seems like a sweet, well-meaning guy on the surface, but our first introduction to his character involves an elaborate lie to conceal his identity, so this is one onion we can expect to peel back over the course of the series.

Mark Strong is David

Strong touts roles in Sherlock Holmes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and the Kingsman franchise, and his character David plays a critical part in Masha’s masterplan and curated group dynamic. So much so, that his late arrival delays her from beginning the full “protocol”. We see his business comes before his obligations with his son, and his massive wealth may be a target for Masha’s plan to help Helena out of debt. But, we also learn from their kiss that he and Masha have history together, and whether it’s romantic or purely sexual is left to be seen.

There’s a whole lot of drama and baggage to unpack, but this killer cast, intriguing band of characters, and promising backstories have us fully invested in this next chapter of the series!