TL;DR – The mayhem was increased, but I am not sure it had the same impact as the first season.

Disclosure – I paid for the Stan service that viewed this series.

End Credit Scene – NUY3ARZ has a mid and end credit scene.

Twisted Metal Review Introduction –

I was intrigued when they first announced they were doing an adaptation of Twisted Metal. Its chaotic nature seemed tailor-made for television, provided the adaptation didn’t dilute its core. Also, there was just enough of a narrative framework lurking in the background to give you something to hang your story on, but not enough that you are stuck telling someone else’s vision. The First Season had its flaws, but it sold a world. Now I am looking to see if Season Two can build on that.

So, to set the scene, 20 years ago, the world fell apart as a virus destroyed the world’s computers. This apocalyptic event split the world in two. Some walled themselves up inside cities, and for those who got booted outside, a lawless void awaited. But there is intrigue on the horizon, because the enigmatic Calypso (Anthony Carrigan) has called a tournament. Anyone with a car can enter, but the last one standing will get any wish they desire. It is a possibility that no one can turn down. Now, from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

The Weird

They absolutely amped up the weird in this second instalment, and you don’t have to look far to see it. While Sweet Tooth (Joe Seanoa/Will Arnett) was the focus of this in the first season, the second brings in fan favourites like Mr Grimm (Richard de Klerk) and Axel (Michael James Shaw), whose designs are iconic and are done justice here. It is full of odd things, like Mr Grimm possibly sucking the souls of his victims out of their dying bodies so they can live in his head with him. I mean, it could just be psychosis, but maybe it was real. Let’s not dwell on the theological implications of that in a show with a reincarnated Preacher in baby form. There are brutal kills, buckets of blood, and a couple of solid car battles, which is all that you would want in a show like this. Honestly, there is a reason last season was nominated for a Stunt Emmy, and this season should follow suit. Also, I have to shout out one of the profoundly meta moments that I have ever seen on TV play out in the opening of episode 12.

The Good

 What helps sell the mayhem is the actors giving everything to their roles. Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz continue to be the linchpins that the series needs. Their chemistry is delightful, and I liked how they mixed it up with the potential complication of the Mayhem (Saylor Bell Curda) character. Joe Seanoa and Will Arnett continue to work together in tandem as one of the wildest characters on television at the moment. Then Anthony Carrigan is out there chewing all the scenery as the potentially supernatural Calypso. Then you fill the show with fascinating character actors leaning into wacky creations. I did enjoy Tyler Johnston leaning into what if his Letterkenny character found a cult persona. Oh, and shout out to Stu (Mike Mitchell), who might be the MVP of the season.       

The Bad

For me, it was the overarching narrative that held this season back, combined with what I assume were several budget restrictions that trapped us in a school for most of the back half of the season. At the end of last season, they capped everything off with the promise that season two would all be about the tournament. That was a strong hook to bring us back, but I am not sure that they delivered on that promise until the ending. The front half is all the work getting us to the tournament, which is fine, even though T3STDRV and Diesel City were the only episodes to really commit to it.

However, while the opening salvoes of that Tournament in ONURMRK & MKAW1SH lived up to that hype and potential, also, OHLYNTE & NUY3ARZ brought things to a close with explosive force. The points in between became a real drag for me, all that build-up and then we get stuck in class. The pacing felt inconsistent, the scenarios felt forcibly small, and it didn’t feel like there were any real stakes. I am not sure they fully got a handle on Calypso and his trickster god persona, which was not helped by him being a distant figure for much of the runtime. These issues also led to an overexposure of some of the characters that had particular gimmicks that started to wear thin after a while. While conversely, some were underused. For example, you got Jimmi Simpson in to voice a car AI, but you are not going to use it all that much?         

Conclusion

In the end, do we recommend the second season of Twisted Metal? Well, for me, there was enough to get me through the episodes that started to drag, and I have some friends who came away with a much better time with the show. But if you dropped out this season because of the story, I would not blame you. I would, however, let you know that the end of the final episode set things up for an intriguing third act, which was enough to pull me back in. Also, they understand how good maps are, and I must give credit to that. Have you seen Twisted Metal yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Twisted Metal
Directed by – Phil Sgriccia, Bill Benz, Iain B. MacDonald & Bertie Ellwood
Written by – Michael Jonathan Smith, Jorge Thomson, Alison Tafel, Hadiyah Robinson, Grant Dekernion, Shaun Diston, Alyssa Forleiter, Gilli Nissim, Taylor Santiago Berger, Becca Black & Kirsten Rezazadeh-Jakob
Created by – Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick & Michael Jonathan Smith
Based On – Twisted Metal by Sony Interactive Entertainment
Production/Distribution Companies – Artists First, Electric Avenue, Inspire Entertainment, PlayStation Productions, Universal Television, Sony Pictures Television, Peacock & Stan
Starring – Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Seanoa, Will Arnett & Anthony Carrigan with Mike Mitchell, Tiana Okoye, Saylor Bell Curda, Patty Guggenheim, Richard de Klerk, Michael James Shaw, Lisa Gilroy, Jimmi Simpson, Jon Daly, Tahj Vaughans, Johnno Wilson, Katherine East, André Dae Kim, Tyler Johnston, Nikki Duval, Daniel Beirne, Claire McConnell & Lily Gao and Morgan Douglas, Darrin Baker, Dylan Rampulla, Andrew Butcher, Mike Scherer, Ken Hall, Paul Thomas, Josh Stone, Nicholas Eddie, Nicolas Grimes, Carlos Jimenez-Rauda, Natalie Metcalfe, Chris Yule, Don W. Shepherd, Janice Israeloff, Patrick Garrow, Kevan Hase, Halle Tator, Amariah Faulkner, Darius Rathe, Carley Ivany, Gavin Forte & Jason Forte
Episodes Covered – PRSRPNT, DOLF4C3, T3STDRV, LZGTBZY, ONURMRK, MKAW1SH, H1TNRVN, SDDNDTH, VAVAVUM, M4YH3M, OHLYNTE & NUY3ARZ