The Purge Season 2 Finale Will Bring Ethan Hawke Back to the Franchise

The Purge is one fo the biggest franchises in horror these days, but it all began with James DeMonaco's 2013 film. The original Purge film starred Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey as a wealthy couple whose home is invaded by a man trying to escape a murderous band of marauders. It would be an understatement to say that DeMonaco has crafted a much bigger, and darker, story since that first installment, and as The Purge tie-in TV series comes to the end of season 2, DeMonaco is giving fans a real treat in the form of bringing Ethan Hawke for the series 2 finale!

Here's the official announcement from USA Network, revealing that Ethan Hawke's James Sandin will be making a cameo appearance in The Purge season 2 finale:

Ethan Hawke, star of 2013's "The Purge," is back as James Sandin in the second season finale of USA's THE PURGE. James Sandin is the security system salesman the original film follows as he tries to protect his family from home invaders during a purge night gone wrong.

James is featured in the finale's cold open, which flashes back to one week before the first national purge and the first time his high-tech security system is tested.

Titled "7:01 AM," the finale picks up as purge night rages on and Esme, Ryan, Marcus and Ben fight for their lives and their loved ones. It will air Tuesday, December 17 at 9/8C on USA Network.

The Purge Season 2 has been one of the most interesting chapters of the franchise yet. The season began on the final hours of the annual purge, as the main ensemble of characters (a wealthy doctor targeted for purging, a bank robber, a college kid who barely survives the night, and a NFFA surveillance agent) find themselves in compromised positions as the Purge comes to an end. The majority of the season followed those same characters as they dealt with the trauma of Purge night, and began working on elaborate plans to get restitution on the following Purge night, a year later. The season 2 finale will examine how that second Purge night plays out.

As for Ethan Hawke? His cameo is a nice bookend, which serves as nice callback to both the original movie, and the season 2 premiere. The Purge season 2 opened with a scene that revealed the actress who first recorded that now-iconic announcement sequence when The Purge begins; and this season 2 finale will echo that with a "cold open" that sees James Sandin first testing the security system that will eventually make him rich. For longtime fans, it will be a nice way to further clarify the timeline of the entire Purge TV and movie franchise.

The Purge season 2 airs Tuesdays @ 9/8c on USA Networks. The Season 2 finale featuring Ethan Hawke will air on December 17th.