Entertainment

It Could Be A Loooong Wait For ‘Mozart In The Jungle’ Season 5

by Kayla Hawkins
Sarah Shatz

Mozart in the Jungle Season 4 is dropping on Amazon on Feb. 16 with another full season of Rodrigo and Hailey's charming musical adventures. And when a whole season drops in one day, it's never too soon to start wondering if Mozart in the Jungle will return for Season 5. But the series' future is unclear right now, even with four full seasons under its belt. Be on the lookout for an announcement from Amazon in the month or so after the season premiere, as that's when the streaming service has announced previous renewals.

The first seasons of the series led to a glittering Golden Globes night in 2016. Mozart In The Jungle garnered two wins, for Best Television Series — Comedy and Best Actor — Comedy (Gael Garcia Bernal). And while that success is not proof that Amazon is planning on bringing the show back for a fifth season, it is one of the network's winningest dramedies, along with Emmy-winner Transparent and fellow Globes winner The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Still, there may be a lengthy wait in store, even if the news is good.

If the series does return for a fifth season, it may take a bit longer than a year to reach the screen, as the gap between the third and fourth installments was just about 13 months. Season 2, the production traveled to Mexico; Season 3 took an extended trip to Italy; and from the trailer, and Season 4 will take some of the action to Japan. So more international travel could be in the show's future.

At a premiere Q&A, writer and producer Susan Coyne explained that in Season 4, Mozart in the Jungle would show the sexism that still permeates classical music, especially as it pertains to conductors. Executive producer Caroline Baron joked, "that’s going to change now because of our show." Perhaps that's a hint that Hailey's quest to break in to the field will be successful, and future seasons will continue to show her walking down that path, as not just Rodrigo's newly official girlfriend, but as his professional peer.

There are also a few new characters joining the ensemble this year, including Lost and Arrow star Michael Emerson as an eccentric music collector, Morton Norton. In an interview with Smashing Interviews, Emerson explained, "[Morton] lives in a big, spooky old mansion kind of like The Addams Family house, and he has room after room of ridiculous classical music ephemera like fingernail clippings, cigarette butts, a half-eaten bagel, all attached to a famous composer, conductor or musician." He could have something to do with Rodrigo's efforts to connect to the music and the composers that he loves. And Masi Oka is joining the cast as a possible benefactor for the symphony — perhaps he'll become a more permanent part of the cast if his character decides to invest.

While there are a few hints out there, the future of Mozart in the Jungle is still unclear. But one thing that star Bernadette Peters promised Vulture that the show will never overtly take on is politics. "It’s important to use entertainment to make people feel good, rather than use it to cause people to sit around worrying about the world," Peters said in advance of the Season 4 premiere, though she didn't drop any additional hints about the show's future direction. While Mozart In The Jungle has touched on ageism, sexism, classism, and other issues that make sense for a series about young people breaking into the rarefied world of the classical orchestra, there is likely no ripped-from-the-headlines political commentary in the Amazon Original's future.

As for what that future is, fans will have to hold tight for a possible renewal in order to find out where this story could be going.