Maia Mitchell Talks About 'Artful Dodger' Season 2 Changes

The actress says her character Belle is less 'plucky and perky' after facing personal challenges.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 6:54am

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Actress Maia Mitchell says her character Lady Belle Fox in the Hulu series 'The Artful Dodger' is more serious in Season 2 after surviving a health crisis and seeing her lover Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) locked up. Mitchell notes that Belle has 'lost a bit of her innocence and naivete' and is now 'facing the real possibility of death' for Jack. Meanwhile, actress Susie Porter, who plays Belle's mother Lady Jane, says her character will do anything to keep the young couple apart, even if it means giving Belle an ultimatum to renounce her love for Jack.

Why it matters

The changes to Belle's character in Season 2 of 'The Artful Dodger' reflect the high-stakes drama and consequences the characters are facing as a result of their forbidden romance. The show, based on the characters from Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist', explores themes of class, power, and the challenges of following one's heart in 19th century Australia.

The details

In Season 2, Mitchell says viewers will see an 'evolved Belle' who is 'less plucky and perky' after the events of Season 1. Belle is now 'literally, running for Jack's life' and has 'survived a life-or-death surgery', leaving her with a sense of lost innocence. Meanwhile, Lady Jane is determined to keep Belle and Jack apart, even threatening to have Jack hanged if Belle doesn't renounce their relationship. However, as Porter notes, 'life happens in spite of' Lady Jane's attempts to control the situation.

  • Season 2 of 'The Artful Dodger' picks up six months after the events of Season 1.
  • In the new season, Belle is facing the 'real possibility of death' for Jack within the first few minutes.

The players

Maia Mitchell

The actress who plays the role of Lady Belle Fox in 'The Artful Dodger'.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

The actor who plays the show's dashing title character, also known as Jack Dawkins, who is a gifted surgeon with a criminal past.

Susie Porter

The actress who plays Lady Jane, the wife of Governor Edmund Fox and Belle's mother, who is determined to keep the young couple apart.

Luke Bracey

The actor who plays Police Inspector Henry Boxer, a handsome newcomer to town who seems upstanding and stable, and who Lady Jane sees as a potential suitor for Belle.

Edmund Fox

The governor and Belle's father, who is also trying to keep Belle and Jack apart.

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What they’re saying

“We're meeting Belle six months after the finale of Season 1 and it's a very different Belle. She's, literally, running for Jack's life when we see her. So, she's physically recovered, although there is always the risk of rupture. So, that is kind of always at play.”

— Maia Mitchell, Actress

“She's kind of lost a bit of her innocence and a bit of her naivete. She has survived a life-or- death surgery.”

— Maia Mitchell, Actress

“It was just such high stakes at the end of Season 1 and so stressful for both the governor and Lady Jane and everyone involved.”

— Susie Porter, Actress

“Lady Jane can sometimes be in the delusion that you can control everything. But the fact is, life happens in spite of that. So, it just takes on a whole new world, which I think is interesting for all of the characters.”

— Susie Porter, Actress

“Jack is addicted to adrenaline and there's a reason why he's constantly facing the noose. Facing death and living on the edge? That's what's safe to him because that's what he's known. That's not the best prospect for marriage.”

— Maia Mitchell, Actress

What’s next

Viewers will have to tune in to Season 2 of 'The Artful Dodger' on Hulu to see how Belle and Jack's forbidden romance unfolds and whether Lady Jane is able to keep them apart.

The takeaway

The changes to Belle's character in Season 2 of 'The Artful Dodger' reflect the high-stakes drama and consequences the characters are facing as a result of their forbidden romance, highlighting the show's exploration of themes like class, power, and the challenges of following one's heart in 19th century Australia.