‘Based on a True Story’ Season 2 Cast: Who Stars in the New Episodes That Dropped on Peacock?

Now that Based on a True Story has returned for a second season on Peacock, viewers want to know more about the new and returning cast members. Warning: spoilers ahead!

What ‘Based on a True Story’ Season 1 Cast Members Are Back for Season 2?

Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina are back as married couple Ava and Nathan Bartlett, the true crime-obsessed podcasting couple who are now busy raising their baby.

Tom Bateman reprises his role as Westside Ripper serial killer Matt Pierce. Much to Ava’s horror, Matt is now dating her sister, Tory, played by Liana Liberto. However, Matt promised to stop killing in the name of love, although bodies start piling up that lead everyone to wonder if he’s started murdering again.

Who Are the New Cast Members in ‘Based on a True Story’ Season 2?

Melissa Fumero of Brooklyn Nine-Nine fame joins the cast as Ava’s new friend Drew. However, her true identity is revealed later in the season, which comes with a massive twist.

There’s a surprise return of actress Sara Paxton, who played the sister of Chloe Lake (Natalia Dyer) in season 1. Of course it’s a huge shock, since she was one of Matt’s murder victims the show’s first season.

Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina’s Quotes About Season 2 of ‘Based on a True Story’

The Big Bang Theory alum was pregnant in real life with daughter Matilda while filming season 1 of the show. Now that her character is a new mom, Kaley took some of her own experiences to draw on Ava’s new life.

“A lot of it was cause of some of the stories that I had about some mommy [and] me classes I had taken with certain moms that I had been around,” Kaley told Parade in an interview published on November 21, 2024, the same day season 2 dropped. “And I was like, ‘Wow, this is not for me.'”

“And also, you kind of just want to do everything right and by the book,” The Flight Attendant star added. “I love that we kind of showed that for one second, and then immediately we’re like, that’s not even realistic. Be who you are. Ava threw it out the window. She’s like, ‘I’m still involved in my true crime. This is what I love,’ and by the way, so do I.”

“I really wanted it to kind of look like that. Especially at the beginning, because it’s chaotic when you first have a kid,” Kaley reflected.

Chris told the outlet that the baby changed Ava and Nathan’s dynamic, explaining, “In season 2, they’re further apart, actually. The stress of the baby, the stakes of the baby. Thankfully, during the course of the season, we start to find our way back.”

TikTok replaced some of the podcasting done in season 1, which Kaley said was to keep up with the times. “We had to go that way because that is where the world is at. I mean, [people are] still podcasting, but … I am not on TikTok. That’s not my thing. I’m on Instagram,” the Emmy nominee confessed.

Kaley added about her character, “So yeah, I think we had to capitalize on that a little bit. I like how she kind of thought she was the queen of TikTok for a hot second, until it blew up in her face.”