Season 1 |
Season 2 |
Episode Guide
Episode 1 – | Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 2 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 3 – | Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 4 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 5 – | Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 6 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7 – | Review Score – 4/5
Episode 8 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
When it dropped back in 2019, Black Summer served up a distinctly different slice of zombie action. With lots of different survivors and characters killed at the drop of a hat, a thick veil of tension clung to every episode. Given the illogical actions of some characters and the sudden shifts across to different survivors, this show is also an acquired taste too.
After ending on a trademark Netflix cliffhanger, Black Summer is back after a 2 year wait – and what better time to release. With the world in and out of lockdown this past year, this series could not have had a better opportunity to film. That much is especially apparent here, as empty streets and barren landscapes allows Black Summer to pull out all the stops.
A brief prologue soon paves way for a shift four months in the future. Winter is starting to close in and the choked, urban jungle from season 1 paves way for the frozen tundra of the North. With this changed biome comes less zombie hordes and more human factions.
Humanity has divided into lots of small bands, and with sparse resources and supply drops in short supply, trust is at an all time low. With new characters joining the fray, Sun, Rose, Anna and Spears make their way North to try and outrun this never-ending plague.
Whispers of a safe haven ripple across to the different groups, as all of our different survivors set out to make the perilous journey to perceived freedom. No spoilers here of course, but the journey isn’t straight forward and eventually ends with a dramatic and tense finale. Oh and yes, there is another cliffhanger too.
Much like the first season, the scenes tend to cut sporadically between the different characters across these 8 episodes. The crux of this comes in the form of a milita group, led by new character Officer Ray.
Black Summer’s strength has always come from its realistic depiction of a zombie apocalypse. It’s very easy for us to sit here and point holes in logic or scoff at stupid decisions (and in some case yes, they really are) but adrenaline and nerves do crazy things. In moments of panic, it’s very hard to think clearly and that can sometimes backfire horribly. With the exception of one or two contrived occurrences involving zombies, most of what’s shown here is actually quite realistic.
What’s less realistic however, is the sheer lack of zombies. Unlike the first season’s fast-paced hordes and uneasiness, Black Summer instead strips that back to show that the real horror here is us. We’ve seen this gig play out across multiple different zombie flicks before and Netflix’s series doesn’t quite match up. Given the way we jump between characters, some of the new players don’t get much screen-time to really flesh their characters out.
Thankfully a couple of bottle episodes do help. The best episode of the season features Spears meeting a lonely wanderer, as the pair share time together and discuss their past. Likewise, the longest episode of the season takes place in a remote lodge. It’s tense, uneasy and full of eerie long-shots. There’s a real Shining vibe going on here and these slowed-down moments help the show a lot.
Unlike the first season however, the timeline here is distorted for artistic effect. The first episode is particularly guilty of this and it really is all over the place. It also inadvertently spoils the fate for several characters. The rest of the season is far more coherent though but this first episode is a particular black spot and will undoubtedly put some people off.
That’s a shame because while it’s not quite as good as the first season, Black Summer Season 2 does has some neat ideas and a couple of well-worked bottle episodes. Where the show really thrives though is in its fly-on-the-wall style and realistic(ish) depiction of a zombie apocalypse. It won’t be for everyone, and that first episode is a definite deal-breaker, but there’s enough bite to keep this one animated for a while.
Black Summer Season 2 releases on Netflix 17th June 2021 worldwide!
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Verdict - 6.5/10
6.5/10
Not only was this the worst zombie show ever, it is quite possibly the worst TV show ever created
Probably the worst series I have ever watched in all my years. A beyond stupid plot! No reasonable understanding of what anything meant. Horrible Horrible!! The ending was even stupider!
How stupid ti walk into the lodge and not questions why all the lights sre on and food abd everything
I so looked forward to season 2 and I’m two episodes in an disappointed. First ep was just too much of a gun orgy and fighting a mini war. I didn’t even recognize Lance and not sure about Spears. Too much confusion and no character interaction worth worrying about. Not much dialogue and the main three characters are my main concerns and it just wasn’t interesting. The jumping back and forth, little human interactions (dialogue, story) and way too long battle scene are not enjoyable. And that is what I wanted, an entertaining, thought provoking zombie storyline. I will stay and keep watching, but it’s a let down at this point. People coming and going is not needed, give us people we care about, story can still be innovative and compelling. I hope it gets better.
Felt bad for Lance, that guy just couldn’t catch a break! We saw him last at the end of S1 fleeing a horde of zombies when the group tried to get into the stadium. Looked like it was the end for him but as we see at the opening of S2, he somehow got away…. but then with he quickly gets killed for no real reason as his carjackers quickly lose control of the vehicle. Oh well I’m sure the actor had fun playing attacking zombie rather than a frightened dude for a change.