Summary
The introduction of the boys is a failed experiment, and unfortunately, apart from a few good moments and an interesting finale, season 2 is a wasted continuation that offers very little.
This review of Amazon original series The Wilds season 2 does not contain spoilers.
When Amazon Prime announced The Wilds, it was clear that the streaming service wanted to compete in the teen drama space. I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021) was another promising concept for Amazon to take on. These scenario-based teen series hit differently, and The Wilds was a thirst-quenching prospect.
Season 1 arrives, and surprisingly, the series grants its plaudits from a critical perspective. It was evident with the growing and bubbling fan base that a second season was needed. But, overhanging this prospect was the introduction of a group of boys. The strength of The Wilds comes from a well-balanced and chemistry-filled female cast that puts a group of teenage girls into survival mode—repeating that concept with boys felt like a risk.
The first thing that comes to mind is “overindulgence.” With each episode of The Wilds stretching at 55-60 minutes in length, why could season 1 not incorporate both sets of characters? There’s so much space and time in these episodes dedicated to chit-chat that it could have been filled up with a stronger story arc.
Unfortunately and painfully, the second installment is a waste of time for this very reason. The Wilds season 2 keeps the group of girls at arm’s length while it restarts the story for the boys. It’s a “phase 1 lite,” if you will, with the writers finding a way to bring the boys up to speed as quickly as possible. It’s not like LOST, where they drip-fed new characters while instilling new mysteries. Season 2 feels like we have to invest in the story all over again, and with it feeling rushed, it’s not pleasurable viewing.
However, when The Wilds focuses on the girls, we are reminded of what we enjoyed about the show in the first place. That side of the production is undoubtedly a stronger cast, but they’ve had more time to gather the chemistry. Flitting between both islands, flashbacks, and the interviews at the facility is too fractured. It feels like the editing team had a hard time piecing the episodes together.
And let’s talk about the dialogue. While we can appreciate good conversation between the characters, a lot of the script feels like scene fillers, with plenty of discussions not adding to the plot. We get it; the writers want the audience to fall in love with the characters (or at least some of them), but let’s not bore us to death. Sometimes 40-minute episodes can be as effective as 60-minuter.
Enough of the ranting. The introduction of the boys is a failed experiment, and unfortunately, apart from a few good moments and an interesting finale, season 2 is a wasted continuation that offers very little. Hopefully, season 3 takes advantage of a satisfactory finale.
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