There’s an argument to be made that the second season of The End of the F***ing World is, in essence, unnecessary. The first season ended on an almost perfect note, with James getting shot on a beach trying to save Alyssa from being blamed for a murder that he committed. The source material, a comic book by Charles Forsman, ended in the same way, with Alyssa carving James name onto her arm with a pin.
Season two expands the original scope of the story, taking place two years after the first season. Everyone has become older, and a touch more distant, burdened by new demons and the mundanity of life. And then, just as it seems that everyone can move on, something new happens that pulls James and Alyssa back in.
Bonnie (Naomi Ackie) has spent time in prison after running over a girl who was seeing her love interest, a philosophy professor named Clive. This Clive is the same one as the one murdered by James after he tried to molest Alyssa (Jessica Barden). Bonnie, who hasn’t had the best upbringing (and was badly in love with the professor) doesn’t take this news well. Once she’s out of jail, she sets out to track Alyssa and James down and take matters into her own hands.
Over the next few episodes, characters meet each other and sort through awkwardness and past mistakes and connect with each other. There are some good developments that keep you hooked from episode to episode, but there’s not always good substance in-between. At thirty minutes each, the episodes are robustly paced; but the same kind of urgency that propelled the first season is missed here. At times, it feels like the show is trying to recreate the tension from the first season by pairing Bonnie up with Alyssa and James. This makes it feel like it’s trying to retell the same story. At other times, it feels like an extended epilogue, structured around the events of the murder and how every character has been affected by it.
The main cast is effective, with Naomi Ackie recreating some of the terseness previously seen in the likes of Lupita Nyongo’s performance in Us. Jessica Barden’s signature facial expression, paired with her laconic quips and striking Yorkshire accent, also makes for pleasant viewing, especially when it goes against James, who is more of an emotional wreck this time around. However, the core essence of these characters remain muted; Barden is often angry or completely flat in her tone, which gets tiresome after a while.
One of the saving graces this season is the soundtrack, which is filled with old rock and pop tunes. However, it seems like the soundtrack is covering for the emotional void in this season.
The End of the F***ing World season two is pleasant to watch, but you are left with a sense of emptiness by the time it ends. Is that all there is to it, you might ask yourself. It does pave the way for a possible third season, but maybe it would have stayed a stronger, purer story with just the one season. Maybe that will change in the future, but for now, the second season feels like an exercise in futility.
