The Purge

Although I really enjoyed season 1 it really didn't say a thing new about The Purge that anyone who hasn't watched the movies didn't already know. Season 2 however takes place in the 364 days between one Purge and the next and involves the NFFA which adds a whole new level to the show. Like season one it involves a select group of people but it also has short opening stories that show how normalized violence has become.

That being said all the really low reviews for season 1 are hilariously wrong. Was the season perfect? No. It had its problems but it is nowhere near a one star. At absolute worst I would give it five stars. But the people don't really get the concept of the star system, They either 10 star a show or 1 Star it. Season 1 had some tonal problems and a couple problematic characters and didn't really say anything new.

Season 2 is where the show truly shines........

I just watched the first premiere episode and I must say I do like it quite a bit. I'm still giving this a chance despite some naysayers that think it's milking a product. It can stand on its own despite the last lousy movie and it is our answer to a good zombie movie. Its mindless killing of people and doesn't matter who or what you are, you have that chance to die, like any good zombie show. Just watch it for what it is and don't overanalyze it!

The script and acting are good enough so far that they don't get in the way of the plot or visuals. We were expecting the entire first episode to be an extended tease of the mayhem to come, so were pleasantly surprised that it actually involved some action, though most of the episode was indeed setting up (interesting and diverse) back-stories.

It was also nice to see the plot dipping its toes into the social ramifications beyond the Purge franchise's usual standby of "people gonna die" or even "rich people gonna kill off the poor people." So it seems to be showing a lot more nuance and maturity than the two Purge movies I've seen so far.

I still think there's a good chance of this series becoming derivative and even tedious, but so far it looks good. I'm also somewhat dubious about making an entire series about a 12 hour event - I wasn't a huge fan of the 24 format. Though perhaps the season won't end when the purge does? For now I'm looking forward to watching the next episodes, finding out what happens to the main characters, and seeing how the social aspects develop.

The Purge movies became quite the cultural thing. I'm fairly certain that even people who never watched the movies are familiar with the premise. And I have to admit, that premise seems ripe to be exploited in a TV show. And yet while there is so much time to explore characters and backstories ... the first season feels quite flat.

Still while you get something more on their background, it does not feel enough to warrant certain things. First season almost entirely plays out during the Purge Night ... some flashbacks yes, but overall probably at least 90% are the night itself. And that is something that season 2 does way better. You start with the end of a purge night and then see the consequences of that ... that carry on for a year ... but even here you have flashbacks! So the season 2 is way more rewarding, dealing with a lot of issues and generally speaking the better season of the two. Not just because an apparently well know cameo in the last episode of the show! And as it looks the last episode overall. Another movie is supposed to come out (or should have been released if it wasn't for the Covid thing, you might have heard about that), but it seems we are nearing the end ... let's see how he movie is going to wrap things up. The show could have done with another season (imho)

I'm only writing beacuse I saw these few very negative comments. I don't get it. It's just the plot episode and you "foresee" how bad it will be? And the characters, settings, background etc. they all were quite well established, too! Some people are being negative for the sole sake of negativity.