My hopes were high for this season based on the strong ending of season 1 and the strong beginning of this season but the season overall didn’t live up to my hopes. I feel the character development was inadequate and the plotting and pacing highly inconsistent. Based on my increased expectations, it was a disappointment. Sigh.
Nerd complaints:
Luther, is he bulletproof or not? First episode we see him take an RPG to the back, no problem. Final episodes, he gets gunned down by an Uzi. And the entire plot seems to not make sense. They jumped into the past to avert the future apocalypse by being nicer to Vanya, correct? But they changed nothing other than throwing a different #5 through the portal. How does #5 being in an old body stop the Vanyaclypse? Maybe wiping out the council in the past helps, I dunno.
They used back to the future rules for time travel or something, I don’t think they really make sense.
Vanya is always the bomb and she left. Unfortunately they left an autistic kid with Vanya powers behind.
PS your spoiler is broken it doesn’t span past paragraphs
You need a space between “Nerd complaints:” and “[spoiler]”
I’m done with season 2 now, and I largely enjoyed it. Certainly some bits I could have done without, but overall it was fun. Don’t think too hard, it’s less fun if you spend your energy finding the (many) holes in plot and characterization. As a “go with the flow” fun ride, it works fine.
Sorry, first time using it here.
Its all good. Just letting you know how to fix it.
I really did not like the way they dealt with time travel in season 2.
I mean there’s a whole shadowy organization designed to keep the timeline in check, of which Five was a part, but they treat the past with such reckless abandon I don’t understand why they can’t figure out why the apocalypse follows them.
Why are they shocked that their dad is still alive when they time travel back to 2019, after having told him everything about his future? And for that matter, how are they all still alive and/or not locked up for still being on the FBI’s most wanted list for murdering JFK?
It seems like the writers were confronted with a decision about how to treat time travel: like Back to the Future where it’s all connected and any change to the past could have dire consequence for the time traveler him/herself, or like Terminator where time travel spins off a new dimension. But instead of choosing one, they just said “fuck it” and decided that there weren’t any rules at all.
I think even Hot Tub Time Machine did it better.
So yeah, that was confusing and annoying.
Certainly messy, but it seems pretty clear now that they are spawning a new timeline every time, in which case I can’t see them ever getting “home.”
Yes, exactly. They’ll likely never get to their home timeline.
But I did like how they avoided taking the obvious path with Vanya. For a while it looked as though she would cause the apocalypse again, but then…
DIego
I am bailing halfway through this second season. Some of the laziest writing I’ve had the displeasure of subjecting myself to, and I’m not even counting the (incredibly stupid) timey wimey bits.
No, just your garden variety complete failure to have consistent characters who remember shit past scene breaks, plot threads that pay off, or expectations subverted. Bleh.
Has anyone read the graphics novels to comment on the similarities and differences of Season 2? It was a definite step down from season 1, but entertaining enough for me to be in for Season 3.
There is very little resemblance. Even less than in season 1.
I liked season two but it definitely doesn’t worry too much about continuity or consistency. I just decided to just go along for the ride and not worry too much about those issues but I can absolutely understand how that would ruin it for a lot of people.
I turn off my brain anytime time travel enters the equation, it’s never worth it. So with that in mind we adored this season. Klaus & Five just stole the show - kept waiting for it to drag per some comments above but I was too busy laughing.
That is interesting: I mostly like the show, even though you can’t expect continuity or good science. But I cannot STAND Klaus. The show would be much better with him just not even in it. He is annoying as hell and contributes nothing.
I think the best part of this season was the fight between 5 and 5. Old 5 reminds me a lot of Bill Murray.
I also badly want to see the “deleted” scene with Father killing all of his cronies.
To each their own. Robert Sheehan makes any show he’s in, far as I’m concerned.
Hey I just got a hold of these leaked notes for the cast as they were prepping to record S2. Figured I should probably share them here.
Klaus: That whiny thing? Do that. The little stomp, yeah, bring that into like every scene. You got it. Keep up the guyliner-and-cocaine program, you’re doing great. Nono, no. More petulant. Imagine you’re sev-- imagine you’re three and Ben won’t let you have a cookie. There it is, buddy, you got it!
Five: Yeah, lean in. Lean in, with the little head tilt and the disdain. Perfect. Press save. Do that. Forever. Every single fucking line you deliver: do that. Someone else is speaking? Lean in, head tilt. Yes. Yessssss.
Luther/Diego: Look, we know. We hear you. No, it doesn’t make sense. Here’s the thing, though: we’ve decided that for this season you guys are just dumb as fuck. I mean, borderline non-functional. Just complete fucking idiots. Object permanence is a stretch for either of you. No, we’re not taking notes at this time.
Alison: Apparently using your powers turns you into a sadist now? I dunno, we read Steelheart and it was dope. No, nothing else. Just flip a coin between debilitating empathy and complete sociopathy for each take. We’ll pick one in editing.
Ben: Who let you in here? Shut up, we signed you for this season? Shit. Uh, moon after this cultie who definitely is a named role. Uh, cult…girl…Morocco? Yes, I know that’s a country. She’s from there, duh. Morocco girl. Moon. Go.
Vanya: Ellen, boy, are we glad to have you. The good news is that as the only cast member with any range, we’re going to give you all kinds of material to work with. We really pulled out all the stops for you, put the A team on Vanya’s arc this season. You’re going to love it. Get this: amnesia. I know, I know, crazy right? Anyway it’s this thing where your character can’t remember anything, so just go ahead and make some shit up. What? Oh, uh, you’re in a…farmhouse? In…Dallas. Autistic kid, bored housewife, and a…uh…fuck…vacuum salesman? (fuck yeah vacuum salesman we are geniuses) Go for it, just let 'er rip!
Crew: Okay, so we don’t have any budget for any actual superpowers this season. What we do have, though, is a signed and sealed deal for twelve episodes. Get ready for the new plan for SEASON TWO BABYYYY: Dance sequences. We’re just going to film a bunch of random shit, then hyperchop cut them shits up in editing with whatever Spotify barfs out from '60s Pop Hits! on random on Jimmy’s laptop. What I’m saying is don’t worry about it. Questions? Yes, craft services is over on the south side of the lot. That’s it? Great! Let’s go get it!
I salute your snark in honor. Well done, sir.
Agreed. Klaus is the best, and the actor just nails the part. I can get not liking the character because the character definitely has some unlikable aspects, but the actor is just killing it.