REVIEW: 'Twisted Metal' Season 2 Gains Little Momentum With A Faulty Engine
- Moriba Forde
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Twisted Metal returns with a sophomore season that messily does what the freshman season should have been doing. This season of the post-apocalyptic racing series pits our loose heroes against other psychopaths to compete not only for their lives, but their hearts' desire.
Based on the PlayStation videogame of the same name, Twisted Metal follows an amnesiac milkman, John Doe, and his lover, Quiet, fighting to survive on their way to New Chicago, only to end up going their separate ways. Season Two picks up with John adjusting to his new "home" in New San Francisco, while Quiet embraces her newfound sisterhood with the Dolls. A twist of fate reunites them to enter a tournament hosted by a creep named Calypso, where the winner gets one wish granted. John and Quiet are not the only ones reuniting, friends and foes, with the likes of Dollface and Sweet Tooth entering their hats in the ring.
Twisted Metal Season Two boasts talented stars behind the cars, explosions galore, staggering amounts of blood, and the tournament fans have been waiting to see; however, the story drags across the finish line, weighed down by a stale sense of humour and underwhelming visual effects.
Twisted Power Couple Takes The Wheel
Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz ignite the spark that fuels the chemistry between John Doe and Quiet. Anthony Mackie's John Doe is an idiot, while Beatriz's Quiet is only the voice of reason because she is the lesser idiot. Neither of their characters has a clue what they are doing, so they make things up as they go along. Their plans go horribly wrong about 85% percent of the time, but no matter what, they always come back to each other.
Mackie and Beatriz make this series worth watching at least once. They are two talented, hilarious, charismatic actors who genuinely have fun with their characters and the material they were given. Those actors synchronize with the kindred spirits between John Doe and Quiet, mastering the ability to convince anyone of their love for each other. It's a shame knowing that their efforts to save the season are in vain.
Sharp Left Turn Into Wasteland
Season Two delivers a fast-paced story, but the writing is still weak. There are fleeting moments of the story's potential, especially in the scenes featuring John and Quiet's odd married-couple dynamic, or exposition for a tiny sum of the supporting characters. Those elements quickly become drowned out by a confused tone and jokes that not only miss the landing but also come at the plot's expense.
Yes, Twisted Metal is a comedy at the end of the day, but when so many stale jokes come at the plot's expense, there is a problem. Excluding Saylor Bell Curda's Mayhem, who is a delight to watch, with a personality that complements John and Quiet, the supporting players are nauseating as they come across like we were rejected from a Deadpool movie. The time spent on those characters does not allow you to become personally invested in them or feel any of the high stakes in the tournament. Anthony Carrigan does his best to remind everyone of the threat he poses as the big bad Calypso, but he sadly lacks development. By the finale, you still don't know anything about him, other than him being a creep who plays with people's desires for entertainment, unless you have background knowledge from the game.
Tiana Okoye's Krista falls victim to the messy world-building most of all, as the story does not allow her character to stand on her own. Ultimately, she becomes nothing more than a misguided plot device.
PlayStation One Graphics Stick Out
The production value for this season seems to be on the shallow end. The action and set pieces are fun-mediocre and the VFX and CGI leave so much to be desired. The racing and fighting sequences get passing grades, while VFX and CGI underperform tragically. They especially stick out during Axel's scenes. The moments he gets in his "vehicle" to chase his opponents are ridiculous, yet, more hilarious than most of this season's brand of comedy.
Twisted Metal season 2 might be a guilty pleasure for some, but many viewers will find themselves disappointed by the crowded supporting cast lacking character development, weak writing, stale humour and abysmal effects. As powerful as Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz are, they cannot save this season.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
About Twisted Metal Season 2
Premiere Date:Â July 31, 2025
Episode Count:Â 12
Executive Producer/Showrunner:
Writer: Michael Jonathan Smith
Directors: Phil Sgriccia, Bill Benz, Iain MacDonald, Bertie Ellwood
Production:Â Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Universal Television,
Distribution:Â Peacock
Cast:Â Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Seanoa, with Will Arnett, Anthony Carrigan, Mike Mitchell, Saylor Bell Curda, Patty Guggenheim, Tiana Okoye, Richard De Klerk, Michael James Shaw, Lisa Gilroy
Synopsis: Following the revelations in the season one finale, John and Quiet find themselves entering the deadly TWISTED METAL tournament, a sinister demolition derby hosted by a mysterious man known as Calypso. As they try to survive an onslaught of dangerous new foes and familiar faces alike, including the murderous clown Sweet Tooth, things get complicated for John when he reunites with his long-lost sister, the vigilante Dollface.