'The Purge' Season 2 dives deeper into what the world looks like rest of the year before the night of horror descends
When Blumhouse Productions and James DeMonaco teamed up in 2013, they revolutionized the horror genre by presenting us with the idea of a new America, where all crime - including murder - is legal for 12 continuous hours on one fateful day of the year. They called it 'The Purge' which proved to be the most meta name for any horror production in the contemporary climate. Five years and four films in the franchise later, the concept was remodeled to a USA Network series of the same name, and this Monday will see the premiere of the show's second season, but of course, there's a twist. Shifting focus from the signature 'Purge night' developments as seen in the films and the show so far, season two will deal with what goes on the rest of the 364 days between two annual purges, as people cope with trauma and loss, riddled with paranoia, trying to keep their loved ones safe.
With a fresh new cast and a revamped premise, this season will focus on the days following the Purge night from season 1. The impact of the tension and bloodbath from those consecutive 12 hours, without any law enforcement or medical aid will see four lives intertwine and interconnect over the course of the year that will follow, and inevitable lead to the impending doom that is the coming Purge. The one dreaded night of the year might be over, but too many wounds are left open, and too much blood spilled in the name of avenging the monster that resides within all things animal, and season two's trailer does a pretty neat job at upholding all of that, warning us of what's to hit us.
A chilling sneak peek of the season shows a woman auditioning for the role of the automated vocal warning issued before the commencing of the annual purge every year. It's obvious that the authorities have the public fooled, as the woman takes a second to register that the warning mentions "all crime including murder is legal." When she expresses a smidge of a concern, they explain to her it all comes from a place of protection, to save her fellow citizens from a year full of violence, thus giving us a clear picture of what the situation really is like.
The official trailer, however, sees Derek Luke as an extremely well to do and revered professional named Marcus Moore, married to Michelle, played by Rochelle Aytes. The couple will be joined by Max Martini, whose character - Ryan Grant - is a mastermind when it comes to planning the Purge night heists. Paola Nuñez's Esme Carmona will be seen reigning as an authoritative employee at a government surveillance center. And chiming in from the casual and frivolous fratboy walk of life will be Joel Allen as Ben, along with his college girlfriend, Kelen, played by Danika Yarosh.
DeMonaco, who created the franchise and directed the first three Purge movies, builds up the tension in the latest trailer right from the get-go. The events from the Purge night appear in flashbacks, as Marcus and Michelle try to figure out why people are targeting them. Esme's stance on the whole situation is kind of unsettling, but not unexpected. Exercising her role as a government employee, she invests time in convincing normal people how every day would look like the Purge night if there wasn't an annual day for legalized crime set aside. But, as they try to justify their claims stating people will do anything when no one is watching, statistically, violence keeps rising on the rest of the days of the year along with the annual Purge.
The psychological elements of horror influencing this season also makes for an interesting build-up, with the risk of the people you know being the ones behind masks and targeting you for the Purge increasing every moment. While Ben's girlfriend convinces him that what happens on Purge night, stays in Purge night, he keeps seeing flashbacks of a mask which he begins sketching in a frenzy at odd times, often leading to bloody situations. There really is no way out, and after all these years of trying to ideate the fictional concept of the Purge, this comes as a harrowing portrayal of life in an apocalyptic world where the Purge is legalized.
'The Purge' season 2 premieres on Tuesday, October 15, at 9/8c only on USA Network.