The End of the F*cking World’s first season was one of Netflix’s big successes and drew huge applause. Its relatable characters, unpredictable plotlines and nostalgia-filled settings made it one of the hits of 2017. However, the second season severely lacks in all these fundamentals.
One of my biggest criticisms was the character of Bonnie. The first episode of any season needs to hook an audience, but the first here was entirely focused on a character we had not yet met, who wasn’t relatable and didn’t do anything of interest. Furthermore, throughout the season she seems to illogically bend the plotline, acting irrationally. I understand that her difficult upbringing is supposed to explain her irrational thinking, but certain moments, for example when she spends several days with James and Alyssa but doesn’t attempt to kill them, just seemed irrational and didn’t give the plot much consistency. Plus, the whole situation with the motel owner is so bizarre it feels completely out of place.
James and Alyssa’s character arcs weren’t much better. The producers clearly attempted replicating the first seasons 'will they won’t they' arc, but instead created a warped teenage nightmare. James’ survival also seemed to effectively numb all the first season's workings, with his death in the first season being one of the key factors behind the show’s success. Moreover, the two characters seem to be simply caught in perpetual boredom, which in turn bored me. Although the final episode saw both resolve their problems, Alyssa with post-traumatic stress disorder and James with his dad’s ashes, both seemed to just happen suddenly and were not left to build. In fact, Alyssa’s visit to Dr. Clive Koch’s house completely shocked me, but not because the writers had developed a clever twist, but because there was virtually no evidence that she was suffering problems throughout the entire season. As well as this, the two characters on/off love story were completely ruined in this second season, with the main highlight being a regrettable kiss in a sleazy motel room. At the end of the season, there was no suggestion the two get together, except for a hug that seemed to breathe more friendliness than sexual tension. In fact, I found myself rooting for Alyssa’s new love interest Todd towards the end, as he seemed better for Alyssa.
Despite this, there were some highlights of the season. James’ Dad's death for example, completely took me by surprise and was one of the few points in the season that I felt emotional, with the few minutes build-up genuinely being heart-warming. Furthermore, the American setting but British lifestyle construction continued to work extremely well, as it did in the first season and as it does for Sex Education. Alex Lawther’s performance was also exceptional, particularly the scenes surrounding his father's death. That’s not to say that Jessica Barden’s performance wasn’t good, but I felt that she was limited by the script. She had to maintain a straight face constantly and she consistently felt cold, which isn’t ideal when a love interest is attempting to be made.
Overall, I think the major drawbacks of the second season of The End of the F*cking World was simply how boring it was. While watching the first season my eyes wouldn’t leave the screen, yet with this new season, I found myself going days without watching an episode. Six/Ten.
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