The Big Door Prize Season 2 Review – A decent but largely ineffective follow-up

Episode Guide

Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 8 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 9 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 10 -| Review Score – 3.5/5

The Big Door Prize is one of those shows that’s always felt like it was missing that cutting edge to help it stand out next to other shows of its kind. The first season was intriguing and humorous in places, but also largely uneven with its plot and character writing. Moving into season 2, things aren’t actually all that different.

The end of season 1 teased that we were getting a new part of the Morpho machine visions and while that is true, it’s more like an extension to what we’ve already seen than an overhaul to the structure in place. Instead of little cards depicting one or two words, we now get a videogame animation showing cryptic visions to different residents, which is largely left open to interpretation.

The second season runs several different plot threads simultaneously and weaves that around the light mystery with the Morpho machine. The first few episodes do tease that we’re going to get some answers but it’s not until the finale where we get a coupe of half-answers and teasing glimpses of what this machine is, its origin and its true purpose. Instead, a lot of the show centers on the interpersonal relationships… but it doesn’t do a particularly great job of that either if I’m honest.

The main relationship is that of Cass and Dusty, who found themselves questioning their life choices in season 1. Here, the pair decide to go on a “self-ploration” where they amicably separate for six weeks to see if they’re happier on their own. In doing so, both discover new things about themselves.

Caught in the middle of this is Trina, who ends up deepening her ties with Jacob. However, he also finds himself confused over how this ties into Kolton and how he should be feeling about his brother. This isn’t explored in too much detail beyond the “Jacob episode” but it does have some nice moments. This is a recurring theme, if I’m honest, as the show tends to look at different characters but puts them in bottle episodes as if this is back in the heyday of cable TV. All the while, you’ll find yourself growing impatient as you want to know the crux of the mystery – the Morpho machine.

Given the way Apple are releasing this show, waiting for one episode a week is going to drag the overall score down unnecessarily for those curious to know what’s going on with the Morpho machine. Having watched all the episodes back to back (given Apple sent them over early), it’s undeniable that the show drags on far longer than it should. And that’s with a binge! When you multiply that by one 30 minute episode a week, it’s only going to exemplify those feelings.

One saving grace here though comes from the acting and the little titbits of humour nestled throughout. Giorgio is easily the star and he shines above all others. Although there are similarly well timed jokes from others too. Dusty’s awkward cringy moments show up in a few episodes, including a girly night with Cass where things go horribly wrong. This humour is subjective and while it is really funny when done well, it also teeters on a tightrope and it doesn’t always fire on all cylinders. And this ties into the character dynamics too.

The Big Door Prize is no better nor worse than its predecessor. The follow-up season isn’t bad but it is overlong and it suffers from the exact same problems it did the first time round. However, the positives are also here as well, and there are a coupe of really funny jokes too. Depending on how you felt about season 1, that’s likely to be replicated for season 2 as well.

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