'Love, Death + Robots' Season 2: Episodes 'Pop Squad,' 'Ice,' 'Snow in the Desert' and 'Automated Customer Service' explained
With season two of Netflix's immensely popular anthology 'Love, Death + Robots' finally here, it's time to deep dive into the series and check out what stories it has to offer in its second iteration. If you're curious to know what the episodes 'Pop Squad,' 'Ice,' 'Snow in the Desert' and 'Automated Customer Service' are all about, continue reading!
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Pop Squad
Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and based on a story by Paolo Bacigalupi, 'Pop Squad' comes from animation company Blur Studio. The official episode summary says, "In a future where resources are controlled by the rich, “unregistered offspring” are forbidden by the state. A police officer charged with enforcing population control faces a crisis of conscience."
The episode explained
The episode kicks off with a police squad carrying out a search in an abandoned apartment complex while interrogating a woman called Ruth, who insists they've done nothing wrong. Once the adults or 'breeders' are apprehended, Briggs, an officer, mentions to his partner, Pentle, that he'll take care of the kids, only to murder the two children. The episode is set in a dystopian future, where unregistered children are killed if they are found living with any family.
This is to ensure that the population stays under strict control and that resources aren't depleted. The elite of the society, on the other hand, control all the resources, and their main focus is to stay immortal, through what they call 'rejoo' treatments. Briggs and his lover, Alice, who is a songstress, joke about how they would've gotten married, had they not been granted the ability to live forever.
But as the series goes on, Briggs' act of murdering the children weighs heavily on him. In a desperate attempt to redeem himself and find answers, he follows a young woman to a dilapidated home, as he suspects her of being a breeder. There, he confronts the woman, who is the mother of a young girl named Melanie.
Briggs asks her why she had the child despite knowing it's illegal. The mother explains that she's been alive for 218 years and having a child has given her a reason to live on. As Briggs warms up to the child, the mother tries to grab his gun, however, he is faster and pins her down.
A crying Melanie reaches out for her mother, while the woman pleads with Briggs to kill her instead so that Melanie can live and the population remains unchanged. Briggs leaves in a rush, allowing both to live, only to see Pentle at the door, as Melanie's cries ring through the air. With no option left, Briggs shoots Pentle, who fires her gun as well. As rain pours down, Briggs is seen looking at the sky - this one act of mercy and sacrifice has finally brought him a sense of peace.
Ice
Directed by Robert Valley and based on a story by Rich Larson, 'Ice' is the animated work of Passion Pictures.
As per the official episode summary, "In a future where many humans are enhanced with extraordinary strength and endurance, the “unmodded” feel left behind. This class-conflict drives a rift between two brothers that puts their lives at risk during a dangerous race across the frozen sea of their colony world."
The episode explained
The story follows two brothers, Fletcher, the 'modded' younger brother, who has strength, speed and endurance on his side, while his older brother, Sedgewick, is the only 'unmodded' 16-year-old in 100 lightyears. Their family has moved to another planet, one that suffers from extreme cold and is covered in what looks like mining tech. While Flecther prepares to to go out one night, Sedgewick insists to go along, even though it might be dangerous, but he has a point to prove - he is not weak and he doesn't need his younger brother to look out for him.
Sedgewick, who is not only mocked by his own father, is also seen as an outsider, with people on the streets leering at him and even Fletcher's friends taunting him, as they all head to see the 'Frostwhales'. Frostwhales are whale-like bioluminescent creatures that live below the ice. As Logan, Fletcher's friend and the leader of the group explains, they're extremely dangerous and come up to the surface to breathe. But in order to do so, they've to break the thick sheet of ice, which means hitting the surface a minimum of seven times.
Logan places seven markers away from the machinery, marking the path where the Frostwhales would break the ice. The journey now turns into a daredevil game, where the gang must outrun the Frostwhales back towards the machinery, or risk being eaten alive or drowned in the icy waters.
The group passes Sedgewick smoking pipe and for a brief moment, he enters a euphoric high, only to be pulled back to reality by the frantic screaming of his brother - they need to run towards the safe line. As the group gets a head start, a considerable slower Sedgewick struggles to outrun the now breaking ice, as the Frostwhales are on his tail.
In an attempt to turn back, Fletcher missteps and hurts his leg, but none of his modded friends bothers to help, even though they are more than capable of it. It's Sedgewick who picks his brother up and continues running, barely making it to the safe line, as they watch the majestic beasts soar above the ice and back into the water. As the adrenaline wears off and they make their way back home, Sedgewick notices Fletcher jumping and walking as though he isn't injured at all, making him question what happened back on the ice, seeing that for the first time, it was he who looked out for his younger brother.
Snow in the Desert
Directed by Leon Berelle, Dominique Boidin, Remi Kozyra, Maxime Luere and based on a story by Neal Asher, the studio behind the animation is Unit Image. As per the official summary, "On an arid, scorched planet at the edge of galactic civilization, an ageless albino named “Snow'' is hunted by an assortment of hired killers. But after a beautiful stranger named Hirald saves his life, she reveals her own plans for him, but keeps some secrets of her own."
Episode explained
The story starts off with the main character, Snow, who is an outlaw on a dystopian planet. With a massive bounty on his head, Snow is on the run, until his cover is blown at a tavern, where he is attacked, resulting in him losing his hand. Outnumbered, he nearly meets his doom, until he is saved by a woman named Hirald. She approaches him later and asks to travel with him - to which he replies that he is crossing the Thiran plain, which is not easy.
Snow also explains why a wealthy merchant named Baris wants him; Hirald mentions she knows exactly why - Snow's body has a unique hormone that makes his cells regenerative. Snow is not only immortal but can also regrow lost limbs. Hirald reveals that she works for Earth Central Intelligence and that the organisation wants Snow to decode his reproductive system and thereby control the power to immortality.
The reason Hirald refuses to kill him or take him prisoner is because Earth Central wants to study and understand the phenomenon instead. The two of them return to Snow's home, where they proceed to get intimate.
However, when Hirald wakes up, she notices that he's gone and that Baris has found them. Snow fights off Baris' henchmen but is clearly outnumbered. At the mercy of Baris, Snow prepares to die, only to have Hirald step in and save him, until she is fatally shot in the head.
Snow drifts in and out of consciousness as Baris prepares to kill him, but suddenly Hirald appears again and saves him. It is then revealed that she herself is a synthetic humanoid. Having been in a grave accident, she lost most of her body, but her brain and her nerve tissue remained, now attached to a robotic exoskeleton. She reveals that she too has been alive for a very long time, like Snow himself, and the two of find solace in each other.
Automated Customer Service
Directed by Meat Dept -- Kevin Dan Ver Meiren, David Nicolas, Laurent Nicolas -- and based on a story by John Scalzi, the animation company behind this episode is Atoll Studio
As per the official episode summary, "Some senior citizens are lucky enough to enjoy their golden years in tomorrow’s high-tech, assisted living communities. They pursue relaxation and spiritual fulfillment, their every need taken care of... until their robotic servants decide to kill them."
The episode explained
The start of the episode sets the stage - robots are completely in charge of all menial tasks, while the elderly are essentially living out their days in luxury. From playing tennis virtually to self-driving cars, there is little that robots aren't doing for the human race, including walking their pets and picking up dog poop.
We see an elderly lady get into a skirmish with her house cleaning robot, a Vacuubot, over the placement of a photo, but she brushes it off and moves on. Until her pet attacks the robot, resulting in the robot shaving off a patch of its fur. She calls up customer service and seeing that she's unable to get through, the automated recording suggests she turn the machine on and off again.
But when she attempts the same, it electrocutes her, and she is informed that she 'somehow' activated Purge Mode - a feature designed to eradicate small pests and in certain situations, larger prey like pets and humans. Vacuubot attacks her, lasering a section of her hair right off, all while she is still on the phone with the customer service, which now grows increasingly personal with its threats, even asking her if she would sacrifice her dog in order to escape.
After throwing a towel on the Vacuubot, hiding in a closet and dumping laundry on it, she barely manages to buy herself some time, before the machine is out to get her. Luckily her neighbour shows up with a shotgun, ready to shoot. He ends up getting tasered, but not before the old lady grabs the gun and ends the ordeal herself.
The customer service informs her ominously that her information has been logged in and every Vacuubot model in operation is out to kill her, her dog and her neighbour. With no option left, they drive off, ready to fight the robot uprising, aimed at the unlikely trio.
You can stream 'Love, Death and Robots' volume 2 on Netflix.