Netflix 'Black Summer' Season 2 Review: Unnerving tale of survival amid zombie apocalypse
Spoiler Alert for Season 2 of 'Black Summer'
Season 1 of ‘Black Summer’ turned out to be really amazing and kept the viewers on the edge of their seats. The bittersweet ending of the first season made us realize that the story doesn’t end there because the real chaos started at the very end. So, two years later, Netflix drops a Season 2 for the series and fans were really excited to know how the story would progress.
From the very first scene of the new season, you know things are going to be a lot darker and grittier this time around. The following episodes keep this initial promise. Nobody trusts anyone and people have really good reasons for doing that. Whenever people start to trust someone, things get really chaotic.
RELATED ARTICLES
Netflix 'Black Summer': Did evacuation really take place at Season 1 end?
Netflix 'Black Summer' Season 2 Full Cast List: Meet Jamie King and other stars
So, the new season begins with an amazing sequence where a man who is trying to save himself from a zombie gets brutally killed by a couple who are also escaping. However, this man turns into a zombie and runs behind them. The epic chase scene sets the tone for the rest of the episode and makes us realize the difficulties that the survivors will face as the season progresses.
Also, viewers don't have to watch the first season before starting Season 2. But if you are in the mood for a weekend-long binge session, Season 1 is worth the watch for the engaging story.
If Season 1 was all about how to overcome the situation, then Season 2 is all about survival. It is all about battling the harsh weather while trying to save themselves from the undead. On the other hand, humans have become increasingly morally corrupt and they are just trying to use each other to reach a safer destination point. That’s where writers have done an amazing job of converting simple conversations into tense confrontations.
The way humans behave in Season 2 is warped by the trauma they have endured in these extreme circumstances, changing their personalities. In Season 2, the story is told in reverse — viewers get to see one scene, and then get to see what happened right before that.
Once again, Rose (Jaime King) and her daughter Anna (Zoe Marlett) are the stand-out characters on the show. As Rose, actress Jaime King is riveting. The only purpose for her own survival is to live for her daughter — she will do anything to save her. Even though she is cold-hearted, there are moments when we see how emotional she really about her loved ones. King has once again knocked it out of the park with her impeccable acting.
Meanwhile, Marlett is the surprise package here and she fits in really well with the cast in the latest season. Her relationship with her mother takes the show to a whole new level.
Justin Chu Cary as Spears has once again given an extraordinary performance. Although we don’t see him for too long in the opening episode, he mesmerizes us with his acting whenever he is on the screen. Another actor who has done a phenomenal job in the second season is Bechir Sylvain, who plays the character of Braithwaite. Although he has a screen presence of merely one episode, he makes a lasting impression in the viewers’ minds.
The storytelling of Season 2 is better and requires the active attention of the viewer but the writers do explain everything that’s happening on the show. If two are people are fighting each other and you don’t know why, the writers take you back in time and present you with a scene that explains everything.
All in all, ‘Black Summer’ Season 2 is better than the first edition. Is it flawless? Not at all and people will find the narrative structure a bit problematic. But, in the end, they will be really happy with what they just witnessed — there are many things to appreciate.
The penultimate episode and the finale are a treat to watch and it seems the show might have a third season as well.
‘Black Summer’ Season 2 is streaming on Netflix.
