The first season of Twisted Metal was almost like a prologue. Peacock’s adaptation of the long-dormant PlayStation game series spent 10 episodes setting up its car-focused post-apocalyptic world and most of the major characters, all while rattling off a never-ending barrage of jokes. But it never really felt all that much like the games it was adapting. What it was missing were the silly characters and the vehicular combat tournament at the heart of the series. Season 2 finally rectifies that, and it was definitely worth the wait.
At the outset of the new season, much of the cast is separated. After completing his mission in season 1, John Doe (Anthony Mackie) is living inside a relatively safe walled-off city but is forced to train constantly to prepare for the tournament. (As part of his training regiment, he delivers pizzas under the name “John Dough.”) Outside, his partner Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) has joined a post-apocalyptic gang that call themselves the Dolls, which, in a happy coincidence, is led by John’s long-lost sister, the aptly named Dollface (Tiana Okoye). Meanwhile, Sweet Tooth (the body of Samoa Joe and the voice of Will Arnett) is kindling up a bromance with his new buddy Stu (Mike Mitchell), who is quickly becoming an adept serial killer, as well.
What steadily brings everyone together is the tournament, in which the best drivers and killers face off with a tempting prize on the line: a single wish, which can apparently include anything, according to the mysterious Calypso (Anthony Carrigan). This attracts all kinds of characters, who all have their own big dreams. Quiet, for instance, has a utopian vision of bringing down the walls of every city so that everyone is on a level playing field. Most of everyone else has a more selfish desire in mind. The thing is, it isn’t until around halfway through the season — which spans 12 episodes this time — that the tournament actually kicks off in earnest. There are heist missions, qualifying rounds, and all kinds of other side quests before things really get going.
While this had me feeling a little like Milhouse, the show does mostly use its time wisely, as it steadily introduces its new cast of combatants. Twisted Metal is a video game series about driving an ice cream truck with machine guns on it, so it’s not exactly well known for its rich, deep characters. But the show does a good job turning the brief sketches from the games into goofy and violent caricatures. That includes a very gross exterminator named Vermin (Lisa Gilroy) and a guy called Mr. Grimm (Richard de Klerk), who may possess supernatural powers or may just be losing his mind. My favorite is Axel (Michael James Shaw), who is described in the games as a man imprisoned between two wheels. In the show, he’s more of a man who is becoming a car, right down to the fact that he drinks gasoline.
Twisted Metal has an inherently goofy premise. In season 1, it tried to force-feed that goofiness through nonstop jokes from John. But now, with a larger cast of ridiculous characters, the humor and silliness feel more natural and spread out. And once the tournament really begins — which, long-time fans will appreciate, happens to the tune of Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” — the action is much more over-the-top and exciting, as a show about cars with guns on them should be. Sometimes it can be a little CGI-heavy, but with all of the strange vehicles, weapons, and characters, it’s a lot of fun to watch.
Even though I’m only halfway through the season, what’s struck me most is how it finally feels like Twisted Metal, but smartly expanded for this new format. The first season often felt like a typical post-apocalyptic world with too many jokes and a killer clown. But with the addition of more delightfully weird characters and the car combat that comes with the tournament, the show’s finally tapping into that distinctive Twisted Metal voice that it was missing.
Twisted Metal season 2 starts streaming on Peacock on July 31st.