Overview
- FX quietly screened the standalone prequel Marathon Day for Tribeca Film Festival attendees on Thursday and announced it will stream on Hulu and air on FXX on July 31 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.
- Series creators Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw wrote the episode and Jonathan Krisel directed it, with Jack Innanen returning as Paul Baker alongside Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Amita Rao and Owen Thiele.
- The July 31 release will include limited sneak peeks on Hulu’s YouTube channel and FX’s TikTok and Instagram, and Season 2 will follow on Aug. 27 with all eight episodes available on Hulu and a two-episode-per-week roll on FXX.
- FX/Hulu have used a similar surprise-special tactic this year with The Bear’s unannounced episode Gary, making Marathon Day the second eventized prequel the networks have deployed to build attention between seasons.
- Creators and networks say the episode will fill in the characters’ early storylines and give fans context ahead of Season 2, a move designed to deepen emotional stakes and revive conversation about the show before the full-season drop.