Love, Death and Robots Vol. 2 review: The sophomore effort expands the animated universe but pales in comparison to season 1

3.5/5

One major pro of an anthology series is that the creators are able to push the limits of what defines the genre of the series. Tim Miller and David Fincher take it one step ahead by pushing the boundaries of what animated series are known to be in Love, Death and Robots (LDR).

While 18 episodes of season one were violently NSFW, season two turned out to be a milder journey for viewers, who were all set to witness some serious gore. The aesthetics of the animation of the new season are impeccable, and while many similarities can be drawn in the styles of animations of the two, the second season proves itself to be more serious.

Just like the first season, LDR has curated a personalised order of episodes for each viewer based on their preferences. Though the creators claim this is a random assortment, viewers swear that the last season was too eerily put together to attract their attention for it to be random - Netflix users who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community claim that the first episode in their setlist was Sonnie’s Edge, while those who identify as straight were able to watch Beyond the Aquila Rift first. The former episode features a lesbian couple while the latter includes a straight couple.

Season 2 has evidently squished the amount of nudity and blood that the viewers have been privy to in season one. Passionate scenes from Beyond the Aquila Rift are substituted for soulful connections in Snow in the Desert. Simon’s body spliced down to the skull in Sucker of Souls is exchanged for a bald patch burnt onto Jeanette’s scalp in Automated Customer Service. Darker themes of sexual assault, PTSD and loss of a loved one are also glazed over in season two, which were explored in abundance in the previous season.

Though LDR season two is a very different take on post-apocalyptic and sci-fi horror stories, some motifs are strong and loud for the audience to ponder over. In Pop Squad, Briggs is unable to understand why people start families. He brutally murders infants, which is a part of his job description as a cop, and doesn't even flinch till he starts wondering why some choose to reject their government offered immortality and doom themselves to a life of child rearing instead. In Snow in the Desert, the viewers see two lost beings who cannot find someone to spend their days with, owing to their invulnerability. And finally in All Through The House, two children are faced with lifelong trauma when they discover who truly delivers their gifts on Christmas eve.

Some visual aspects of season one have crept into the second season, only making it better - the animation styles of Zima Blue and Ice Age are breathtaking and almost identical, and the concept of frost whales has most definitely been picked up from Fish Night. While The Drowned Giant tries to close the season with a eulogic quality, Zima Blue does it better (and then some more) in season one.

Though the plots of Life Hutch and Lucky 13 are complementary, the second season lacks the brilliance of episodes like The Witness, Sonnie’s Edge and The Secret War. However, season 2 is able to redeem itself with The Tall Grass. The new instalment in the LDR series certainly expands what the viewers knew could be possible in the world of animation, but pales in comparison to the first.