season 2 – THE REVIEW MONSTER

After four years of waiting, season two of Attack on Titan was released on April 1st, 2017.
I am incredibly thankful that I only got into Attack on Titan recently because I do not think I could have waited four years for season two to come along.
But if I had would the wait had been worth it?
Definitely.
Season two of Attack on Titan is absolutely incredible and easily tops the first season.
This is pretty surprising, considering season two is only 12 episodes when the previous one had 25 but somehow they did it.
I loved every minute of this season, from the first to last episode.
It takes place immediately after the season one finale, with Titans supposedly breaking through Wall Rose, lead by a Titan labelled The Beast Titan, with the characters having to figure out how to stop them.

the beast titan — The Beast Titan, one of the new threats of the show, is able to do things most Titans cannot.

This season had me sad, shocked and even disgusted at what I was seeing on multiple occasions.
The gruesome imagery is seriously expanded upon this season, which left me actually feeling sick after watching some of it.
There were also many shocking reveals that left my jaw on the floor.
Probably the best one was a twist that was revealed very offhandedly and made me wonder if I had heard it correctly.
I also came close to crying when watching this season, especially during the season finale.
These three things combined with the more streamlined pacing made for an incredibly gripping season two that had me on the edge of my seat, most of all with episode six, which was mind blowing.
Another thing I really liked was how season two flat out removed all of the problems I had with season one, that being with its characters.
In the first season I thought some of the characters like Ymir, Krista and Bertholdt were pretty forgettable and if they died I would not have cared much.
Not this season however, because all of the characters who were forgettable last season were given plenty of depth and stuff to do this season, especially Ymir.
I loved what they did with Ymir this season, with us getting to know her through her borderline romantic friendship with Krista and her backstory, which opens up some enthralling questions for the show to answer next season.
She was easily my favourite character this season, which surprised me because of how forgettable she was in the first.

I was surprised by how amazing Ymir was compared to last season. She is now one of my favourite characters.

Then there is Eren.
If you read my season one review, you know I thought Eren was a terrible main character.
He was a massive jerk to everyone and had almost no character development but here I was shocked to find they really turned his character around.
Eren was not only likeable this season but relatable as well and I hope they keep this up with him in the following seasons.
However, just because they fixed the issues the show had this season does not mean a new one did not open up.
There was one thing about this season I took issue with and that is how characters, who were important last season, did not get much screen time this season.
Jean, who was my favourite character last season, and Levi, who is a fan favourite, both found themselves shoved into the background.
They still do things, though their involvement in the story is lessened.
Besides, I do not think this issue is great enough to deduct any points from this season because of how fantastic it still was.

Attack on Titan poster — Part of the poster for Attack on Titan season two.

Season two of Attack on Titan was incredible.
It was a step up from the first season that left me wanting more.
Thankfully, we will not have to wait four years for the next season because it comes out this July and I cannot wait to see it.
If season three is anything like season two it is sure to be a blast.

stranger things season 2

Stranger Things is back and kicking in season two of the hit Netflix series.
I was pretty late getting on the Stranger Things band wagon as I only watched the first season six months ago but when I did I was instantly hooked.
So, naturally, I was excited to see what season two would have to offer and, I have got to say, I was impressed. (WARNING!!! Minor spoilers ahead.)
Season two not only continues the story from Season one but expands on it, introducing new characters and interesting plot points that keeps the story fresh and thrilling.
The story telling here is just excellent, with so many twists and turns that I could not stop watching.
I binged watched the entirety of season two in just two days and I am so thankful this is a Netflix series because, if it aired weekly, then I would not be able to handle it.
Season two starts a year after Will was rescued from the Upside Down and a lot has changed since then.
Mike is still mourning Eleven’s disappearance, There is a new girl in town named Max, Joyce now has a boyfriend Bob and Will is experiencing PTSD from his time in the Upside Down… well, as we all know, it is not PTSD but it suits the story for everyone to think it is.
The season starts off great, introducing us to a bunch of new characters like Bob, Max and her step-brother Billy.
These characters are all very interesting and I cannot wait to see what they do with them in the future, Max especially because she is a very likable character and a welcome addition to the show.
max
Speaking of characters, I liked how a lot of the old characters from the first season were expanded upon like Dustin, Lucas and Steve.
Steve was especially good this season.
In the previous season I thought he would turn out to be a stereotypical, one dimensional bully but he actually surprised me by growing as a character and redeemeing himself.
The surprises with Steve continue this season, as he continues to grow into a likable, yet flawed character.
One thing this season definitely did better than its predecessor was present a feeling of danger throughout.
Although I loved the first season of Stranger Things, it was pretty obvious which characters would live and which ones would die (with a few exceptions, like Steve for example).
Not this season however.
Every time a character is in danger you feel like this might be the last time you see them and it has you on the edge of your seat with panic every time, unlike the previous season.
shadow monste
But just like last season, 80’s throwbacks abound!
There are so many callbacks to the 80’s and movies of the time.
I saw references to Alien, E.T and even one incredibly hilarious Indiana Jones homage.
This season is filled with twist after twist, all of which are thrilling.
The opening sequence of the first episode had my jaw on the floor.
Most of the episodes end on a cliffhanger, which has you begging for more and makes this almost the perfect show to binge watch.
I say almost because I do have some issues with it.
My biggest one being Max.
Now, as I said, I really liked her character but my problem lies with how the other characters react to her, more specifically Mike.
Mike does not like Max and it is for the stupidest reason.
He is a complete jerk to her, which makes him really unlikable.
Since Mike is supposed to be one of the main characters of the show, the fact that I did not like him this season is a really bad thing.
It does not help that this minor plot point is never resolved.
We never get a scene of Mike apologizing to Max about how he treated her, it is acted like it never happened.
This season also displays, once again, how incompetent the government forces are.
In season one, I found it highly unrealistic how Hopper was able to break into a top secret laboratory, guarded by trained soldiers, with relative ease and this season once again portrays how incompetent these people are.
While interrogating Nancy about keeping quiet about Barb’s death the scientists are stupid enough not to check for a recording device.
As a result, I found these government forces to be unrealistically incompetent but this is only a minor problem.
The final problem I had with this season was episode seven.
This episode felt very different in tone and just felt out of place in comparison to the rest of the season.
What is worse is the episode prior to this ended on a massive cliffhanger and this episode does not address the it, that is saved for the next episode.
Thank god this is a Netflix series because if the episodes had been released weekly I would not have been able to wait to see how the cliffhanger played out.
eleven
Other than those three problems however, I loved this season and I cannot wait for season three.
The story telling was brilliant, the characters were lovable and fun to watch, (both the old and the new) and the various twists and turns kept you engaged.
If you have not watched Stranger Things season 2 or any episodes of Stranger Things I would highly suggest you you go and watch it,
You will love it just like I did.

Tag: season 2

Attack on Titan Season Two: An incredible season that fixes all of season one’s problems.

Back to the 80’s for Stranger Things season two