After two long years, Twisted Metal finally returned to Peacock today with the first three episodes of Season 2, and it brought along with it a rip-roaring Rotten Tomatoes score. Debuting back in 2023, the series is a live-action adaptation of the hit video game franchise published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, with MCU star Anthony Mackie portraying the lead, John Doe.
Hitting Rotten Tomatoes with a 91% rating from critics, Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com noted that while the first season seemed aimed at fans of the video game series, Season 2 “feels like an honest effort to satisfy both fans of the games and those who never played them.” Tessa Smith from Mama’s Geeky also had high praise for the new season of Twisted Metal, writing:
“Double the chaos, double the insanity, and double the epic action! The stakes have never been higher. New and returning cast all bring their A-game.”
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‘Twisted Metal’ Gets Bigger, Bloodier and Funnier in Season 2
The stakes are higher than ever in this blood-soaked, laughter-filled demolition derby.
In addition to Mackie, Twisted Metal Season 2 sees the return of series regulars Stephanie Beatriz as Quiet, and Joe Seanoa and Will Arnett as Sweet Tooth. Newcomers include Anthony Carrigan as Calypso, Michael James Shaw as Axel, and Saylor Bell Curda as Mayhem, to name a few, and we also get to see more of Tiana Okoye as Dollface, who didn’t show up until the last episode of Season 1. While the freshman season helped establish the show’s lore and characters, things go completely off the rails in Season 2, which really amps up the action:
“Following the explosive finale of Season 1, amnesiac milkman turned reluctant hero John Doe and tough scavenger Quiet dive headfirst into the Twisted Metal tournament, a deadly demolition derby orchestrated by the mysterious, giddy host Calypso.”
While it’s easy to dismiss Twisted Metal as nothing more than an over-the-top ride filled with explosions, gore, and mayhem, critic Joshua Patton from CBR points out that “for all the outlandish figures in this universe, laden with bizarre figures and nostalgic pop culture references, Twisted Metal is a deeply human show.” He’s not wrong, as underneath all the action, the series explores such themes as identity, survival, and trauma. Nearly every character we meet is the product of their past, which really helps make the series more relatable than one might think.
Of course, at its core, Twisted Metal is one of those shows that doesn’t make you think too much, opting instead to take viewers on a wild adventure that allows us to get lost for a while and escape our own issues. As Daniel Kurland from Bloody Disgusting puts it:
“Twisted Metal wants you to breathe in the exhaust fumes, stare into the blinding headlights, and escape into high-octane insanity, which is exactly what it accomplishes. It’s turn-your-brain-off-petal-to-the-metal madness that’s still full of surprises.”
Needless to say, it appears as if Twisted Metal Season 2 is just as good – if not better – than Season 1, which is saying a lot, because lord knows Season 1 was fantastic. You can check out the first three episodes streaming now on Peacock, and look for the remaining nine to air in batches of two each week until its conclusion on August 28.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
