Review: Mars Season 2

Viewers will be happy to hear that when Mars Season 2 returns on November 12, they“ll notice a shift towards more dramatic tales of love and loss on the red planet, but with the change of focus, whats comes into view is the inadequacy, in the illustrative examples from our own situation on Earth as it focuses on the problems of Red Planet life and the need for humans to do more than they can.

In this new season, the authentic feeling explorations perfectly mirror what“s going on in the story of the Mars colonists, now living in a much more populated and bigger Olympus Town base nearly a 10 years after the first landing seen in Mars season 1. The idea of the frontier is present both in the opening episode“s intro of the private corporation Lukrum, which seeks to mine the red planet“s resources for financial gain, and in the current exploitation of Arctic oil reserves on Earth, a vocation depicted as being as dangerous and remote as colonizing Mars, with family members separated from one another in both the fake and real storylines.

The story of Olympus Town and the new Lukrum colony is an enjoyable one, and the characters from season 1 have become standouts in a wonderful ensemble cast. The relationship between the Javier and Amelie is extremely compelling, and the chemistry between the two actors, Alberto Ammann and Clementine Poidatz, is believable. Viewers will enjoy the emotional roller coaster ride these two couples provide throughout the season, even leading to a climactic moment for the couple in the finale.

Mission commander Hana Seung also goes through her highs and lows in season 2. The competition that is bred between her colony and the Lukrum base with their differing priorities creates a great  tension for several of the storylines, and her counterpart at the mining colony, Kurt Hurrelle, is a harsh and sexist when an enemy is needed and a sensitive, understanding colleague when cooperation between the bases becomes absolutely necessary.

The voice of reason and science in this struggle against those who would exploit the untouched planet is Russian geologist and xenobiologist, Marta Kamen, who becomes quite the important character in season 2 despite the fact that her conflicts with the powers that be have some consequences. She becomes the audience“s stand-in in a sense, not just because the “sciency” half of the show clearly frames the dangers of emphasizing resource exploitation over the pursuit of science, but because the politics between the IMSF and Lukrum back on Earth become a frustration that threatens to spoil the wonder of a human colony on Mars for the characters and the viewers.

Other characters from last season, Robert and Leslie don“t have quite as much to do this season, but their developments are still handled well. Robert, the team“s engineer and roboticist, even acknowledges several times that his design skills are not being fully utilized, and this fact even brings about an interesting dynamic when Kurt at the Lukrum colony recognizes his talents. Leslie is Earth-side this season as the new General Secretary of the IMSF (Hana“s twin, Joon, has other aspirations that are explored early on), and after some initial insecurities has some moments of true grit that keep her character relevant.

Bottom Line: Mars Season 2 has definitely surpassed Season 1 in quality and story. The fact that Nat Geo is able to carry off such a great storyline along with the “sciency” elements that make the possibilities seem much real and actually attainable is something to be revered. The interview segments are fantastic and at least to me very educational. Mars Season 2 has a great ensemble cast with a deeply emotional narrative, Mars season 2 is definitely worth a return trip to the red planet!

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Mars season 2 returns to Nat Geo on November 12, 2018 at 9/8c for another run of six episodes.

Author Profile

Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!

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