Review - Twisted Metal: Season Two (2025)

       Alright guys, we are back with Season Two of Twisted Metal, the Peacock original streaming series from Michael Jonathan Smith, which is based on the PlayStation game franchise created by Scott Campbell and David Jaffe. The series sees the returns of Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Mike Mitchell, Samoa Joe, and Will Arnett, and they are joined this time by Anthony Carrigan, Patty Guggenheim, Richard de Klerk, Tiana Okoye, Saylor Bell Kurda, Lisa Gilroy, and Michael James Shaw. 

      So, while the first season ended with the hint of a radical new tournament on the horizon, this season sees the Twisted Metal tournament actually take place, and John Doe and Quiet are reunited to compete, alongside the duo of Sweet Tooth and Stu. And, they face some new competition such as Mr. Grimm, Dollface, and Axel, all of whom are vying for the grand prize: a single wish to be granted by the mastermind of the tournament: Calypso. 

      Now, at the start of the season, we get some interesting new details about some of the goings on in the world of Twisted Metal. First, the version of Raven portrayed in the first season by Neve Campbell was not the real Raven, but was one of a group of lookalikes posing for the true Raven, who is introduced in this season, and is portrayed by Patty Guggenheim. And, we do see Raven's backstory, which involves her girlfriend Kelly accidentally drowning in a pool at a grad party in 1998. 

       The season also shows that Quiet became a member of the Dolls, which is a group of women in doll masks led by Dollface, who is the sister of John. And, I will say that Tiana Okoye does a fantastic job in her portrayal of Dollface, and her scenes with Anthony Mackie are absolutely fantastic. It's also revealed that John and Dollface's real names are Lionel and Krista. And, of course, we get more of Sweet Tooth and Stu, and Sweet Tooth is trying to prove he's the most lethal killer in the country, only to be told of others, such as Trash Man. But, my favorite introduction comes in the form of Mr. Grimm, played by Richard de Klerk, who we see get set loose from Blackfield Asylum, claim his father's motorcycle, and he apparently has the power to consume the souls of those he kills. Cool. Another really badass character introduction is with Axel, played by Michael James Shaw. Axel, for those unaware, is a man who was part of a lunatic scientist's experiment, which resulted in him literally being his own vehicle. What do I mean by that? Well, Axel's vehicle is a platform that he stands on, that sits between two massive wheels, and he has metal hands that connect him to the two wheels. Yeah, it's pretty badass. 

        But, I know what you're all wondering. How is Anthony Carrigan as Calypso? Well, I am ecstatic to say that Anthony Carrigan is absolutely fantastic as Calypso. His demeanor carries a combination of the classic Mel McMurrin portrayal of Calypso in Twisted Metal 2, III, and 4, combined with the suave and mysterious nature of the Russell Reynolds portrayal of Calypso in Twisted Metal (2012). But, it's not just copying McMurrin or Reynolds. Carrigan brings a new dynamic to the table as well, as we see him bring out a bit of personality in Calypso that was never truly explored in the games. Also, the hair and suit design are clearly based on the Russell Reynolds version of Calypso, which is awesome. 

         Of course, the portrayal of the tournament itself is pretty awesome. While it's designed to have a bit more structure to it when compared to the quick arena fight free-for-all nature of the tournament in the games, it's still got a massive amount of fast cars, explosions, and mayhem. And, the roster of drivers in the tournament is kinda neat. Along with some of the key players like John and Quiet, Dollface, Sweet Tooth and Stu, Mr. Grimm, Axel, Mayhem, and Raven, we also get the likes of Chuckie Floop, Death Warrant, Junkyard Dog, Vermin, Mike and his new buddy Dave, a couple of Holy Men, and a host of others. 

        So, while the first four episodes mostly deal with building up to the tournament, and additional character development between the returning characters and the newcomers like Dollface, Mr. Grimm, Mayhem, and Raven, Episode Five is where we get the start of the tournament with a qualifying round. After that, and a bit of reprieve within the chief location of the Twisted Metal tournament, Tournament City, we get each individual round. And, both the qualifier and each round has its own objectives, which could be a nod to the side missions in the various levels of Twisted Metal: Head-On. Now, while the cars and guns still come into play, this more structured format of the Twisted Metal tournament works for storytelling purposes in terms of long-form streaming television. Also, it adds stakes beyond the games' straightforward "blow up the other cars" format. Also, I thought that the way that the drivers made their wishes was certainly interesting. Also, something else that I liked is how Calypso makes it clear that, while anything goes in the tournament, contestants can only kill each other during each round of the tournament and not in between rounds. 

      The music, once again is fantastic. And, yes, as if to address fan criticism of the first season, this season does feature the song "Dragula" by Rob Zombie. Granted, it's the original version and not the "Hot Rod Herman" remix that was featured in Twisted Metal 4, but who gives a shit? Michael Jonathan Smith gave the Twisted Metal fans what they wanted, and did include "Dragula" by Rob Zombie in this season of Twisted Metal, and it's just awesome. But, other songs featured include "Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz, "Get Busy" by Sean Paul, and "What is Love" by Haddaway, just to name a few. 

       And, of course, it's not Twisted Metal without the cars. And, they do make a few changes to the cars. For instance, Brimstone is now a PT Cruiser as opposed to an El Camino, which is a car driven by the Knights of Nebraska in the series. Raven's car is a sleek purple sports car as opposed to a hearse. Hammerhead goes from being a monster truck to being a student driver car. And, the car that Chuckie Floop drives, until it gets claimed by Mayhem in the first round when she kills Floop, is an Audi with an onboard AI that Mayhem goes on to refer to as Quatro (voiced by Jimmi Simpson), who was originally an alien bounty hunter in Twisted Metal 4. Aside from that, we get the Roach Coach van driven by Vermin, Sweet Tooth in the ice cream truck, John and Quiet in Roadkill, Mr. Grimm on his motorcycle, and Billy Ray in his truck Junkyard Dog. And, of course, Axel has his signature vehicle. 

        And, while the first season mostly had locations that were based on the real world, such as New San Francisco, New Chicago, Las Vegas, Topeka, and so forth, the second season showcases locations from the game series, like Diesel City. A location introduced in Twisted Metal (2012), the show's version of Diesel City is a privately run weapons bazaar, with the most elite able to join an exclusive auction for "special weapons," which were the weapons unique to each car in the games. And, of course, there's Tournament City, where Calypso holds the Twisted Metal tournament. Now, while no such city existed in any of the Twisted Metal games, it's a really neat location that keeps the tournament in a single location, but a large one to say the least. But, my favorite detail is how the competitors are given accomodations at the Jaffe Campbell High School, which is named after franchise co-creators David Jaffe and Scott Campbell. Cool. 

        I will say that, while I loved the first season well enough, I loved the second season of Twisted Metal even more. While it was neat getting to set up with the new characters and the lead-up to the tournament in the for four episodes, once the tournament gets started in Episode Five, the season really gets good. What I think I enjoyed the most was that there was a wide array of characters, and thus a wide range of character connections. Some were to be expected, while others were definitely interesting. And, there were some interesting back stories that definitely fit in the context of the series. And, much like the first season, there were a number of deep cut references that hardcore Twisted Metal fans might catch. For example, in the episode where Calypso holds a prom for the Winter Solstice, the DJ for the event is Club Kid, who was a drivable character in Twisted Metal III. 

       Overall, season two of Twisted Metal was a blast to watch over the past month. Unlike the first season, where Peacock released the whole season at once, the second season saw two-to-three episodes releasing every week for a month-long period. And, the excitement for where the season was going is what kept me tuning in every week. And, the finale was an explosive cornucopia of awesome that will thoroughly satisfy any Twisted Metal fan out there. 

        Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you in the next review.