(Netflix)
A second season of Netflix's “Alice in Borderland” has arrived to continue the tale of a group of individuals in a parallel dimension, forced to play brutal games in a struggle for survival. Given the series’ unique plot and action-packed scenes, I was excited for the new season.
My experience with Season One was nothing short of captivating. The thrilling action as well as heartfelt moments was well-crafted and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the season. The characters were well-developed and their stories were compelling, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. My interest in the series was piqued by its engaging blend of entertainment elements, which explored survival games with great depth, creating a sense of tension and thrill.
By the same token, Season Two kept me engaged enough to watch to the very end.
After finishing an episode, I felt fascinated and immediately continued watching episodes. Also, the production values were top-notch, with beautiful cinematography and soundtracks that improved my overall viewing experience.
While the production enhanced my viewing experience, I had expectations that were not quite met. The particular reason for this circumstance is that as an audience, I believe predictability can detract from the viewing experience. In the case of Season Two, I felt the plot was being compromised by foreseeable outcomes. I found myself more interested in “the how” than “the end,” as the latter seemed clear to me.
To my understanding, “Alice in Borderland” is fictional. However, I noticed that some of the outcomes felt unrealistic and almost too perfect.
Some of the events that took place seemed convenient or coincidental. I believe some of the outcomes were too good to be true, thus hinting a predictable narrative. This left me feeling a bit underwhelmed, as I expected a higher level of complexity from the series. I did, however, appreciate the pacing with each episode building on the last to create suspense.
Although the pacing of Season Two had its strengths, it also had shortcomings.
There were moments when the flow of the story was well done, but others that felt rushed. In my opinion, this compression in the pacing made it difficult to fully appreciate the significance of certain events. Perhaps giving more time and attention towards some of the occurrences would have been beneficial to the story’s immersion. This suggestion may call for a stretch into a new season, which I prefer over skipping through a lot of information to fit in such little space.
"Alice in Borderland" is unquestionably a great show and well worth a watch. The series has a unique way of engaging viewers, especially if their interests are survival, thriller, horror, drama, and action. If the show is to be renewed for a new season, I have no doubt I would be excited to watch the story continue.