Ouch!
The first season of the Apple TV series paired its kaijū (monster) action with deft character work, making its globe-spanning mystery feel grounded and emotionally engaging. Season Two, which aired its finale on May 1, picks up directly after the first season’s cliffhanger ending, but much of that balance is lost beneath the weight of a sprawling story and the introduction of more characters from the Monsterverse — a franchise that now encompasses six films and two other spinoff series, all based on Toho Studios’ Godzilla IP.
As the world of “Monarch” expands, the series becomes increasingly bogged down by explanations. Two years after the first season premiered, exposition that was once neatly folded into believable dialogue has been replaced with clunky reminders of previous plot points and characters.
I didn’t read past this point for fear of spoilers, as I haven’t watched S2 yet… but the review isn’t off to a good start, is it?
I really enjoyed S1 and S2.
It really depends on why you watch the Monsterverse.
If you enjoy the human side of it, the lore and backstory, then S1 is definitely more your cup of tea. More human, less monster.
If you like watching kaiju run around and mess stuff up, then S2 is more your thing. More monster, less human.
As I said at the beginning, I enjoyed both seasons. There are things I liked and didn’t like about both seasons.
I think they’ve set up some interesting things for Season 3. I’m looking forward to it.