Sunday, March 8, 2020

Altered Carbon Season Two Finale Doesn't Live Up to Season One

Article Written by J. Y. Calcano


Altered Carbon Episode 2.8: Broken Angels
Written by Alison Schapker & Elizabeth Padden
Directed by Salli Richardson- Whitfield

Synopsis: With the fate of the whole planet on the line, Kovacs, Quell and team race to find Konrad Harlan and stop a catastrophic blast of Angelfire. (netflix.com)




     The Season Two finale of “Altered Carbon” is an action packed thrill ride that satisfactory concludes all mayor plots to date but culminates a season lacking the splendor, macabre attraction, and set visuals that made its first season so enthralling.
     In terms of structure, the episode did everything it needed to do. The rampages are over, all human antagonists are defeated in splendid fashion, and the elder dies. The episode pushed the characters to their physical breaking points and offered happy-ish endings to most of the cast. In relative terms, their endings couldn’t be better within the reality of the sacrifices and losses along the way.
     Quell survives to rebuild the uprising. Trepp and family reunite without debts. The Protectorate allows Clone Kovacs to walk free for services rendered. Poe reboots but with the help of Dig 301, there are strong hints that his great personality will return. And Kovacs, the Greek Hero, meets final death; grandly, for the woman he loves, and the entire world.
     Few crowd pleasing endings are so believable and deliciously bittersweet. Its the sort of tragedy at the end of a hard-fought road that builds belief on the happier plot culminations.
And then Poe and Dig discover that Kovacs was backed up before dying. So he’s really not dead. We’re back to where we started at the beginning of the season because Quell has left the planet, and Kovacs, if he returns, is going to try and look for her… again.
     There it is. Netflix left the door open for the original Kovacs to return like Dr. Who. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if the TV series returns in its next installment, a larger budget is a must. As stated before in previous reviews on this blog, the sets remained grungy and diminished through the entire season. The season lacks largeness and it feels uninspired, diminutive. There are only so many times that the Nevermore environs can be use as a set before its seen as a serious budget cost choice.
     I am not sure if Netflix will bring forth a third season for this series, but if so, let’s hope it can recapture the dynamic eloquence and significant description of its first season and recast Kovacs in a sleeve more Joel Kinnaman and less Anthony Mackie.


References

 

"Altered Carbon: Broken Angels." Netflix. March 1, 2020. www.netflix.com

"Altered Carbon: Full Cast and Crew," IMDb.com Inc. March 1, 2010. www.imdb.com

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