TV Review: Black Summer Season 2 (2021)

Black Summer Season 2 (2021) created by John Hyams and Karl Schaefer

See my review of Season 1 here.

The fight (though it's more of a race) to survive the zombie apocalypse continues with the reunion of mother Rose (Jaime King) and daughter Anna (Zoe Marlett). The story jumps four months into the future, which apparently lands the characters in the middle of winter. They have also moved out of the city/suburbs. The action is now in a rural area that features few buildings, so very little shelter from the elements and the zombies. Other characters are involved in this plotline. Two or three groups are in conflict, trying to grab resources and shelter. Everyone seeks a plane that has been dropping supplies in the wilderness. Presumably the plane can take them to safety, if they can make it to the landing strip.

The storytellers use the same techniques from the first season. There's a lot of long, handheld shots that works well with the action and tension of zombie apocalypse survival. Often an episode opens with a dramatic bit from the middle or end of the episode, creating some suspense or intrigue about how the characters will get to that point. This particular technique is a little overused, especially in a few instances where it highlights moments that don't make a lot of sense or are much less significant than the editing indicates. Some episodes have all the scenes put together out of chronological order, which could work to heighten the drama. I found it merely less coherent. The actors do a good job but the characters are underdeveloped. I was much less invested in their fate than I was in the first season.

Not recommended--the first series was fairly average and this one is a step down in storytelling and coherence. 

Streaming on Netflix as I write this review (July 2021).

TV Review: Black Summer (2019)

Black Summer (2019) created by John Hyams and Karl Schaefer

The zombie apocalypse is just getting started and people from the suburbs are being evacuated. One mother (Jaime King) is separated from her daughter. The plan is to get to the nearby city where the military is staging an evacuation. A bunch of other people are also fleeing from the suburbs to anywhere that is not overrun by the high-speed zombies. The show follows seven or eight characters. The number keeps shifting as new people are added and old people are offed. A handful of people make it from the first episode to the final episode.

The story is fairly simple and the show is basically a string of set pieces where the group faces various challenges. In one episode, they find a school that seems to be abandoned but really isn't. Another has five survivors trapped in a diner with two zombies outside ready to eat them. Enough thought and creativity is put into the episodes to make them engaging. Characters do make both bad and dumb choices, though often they are stuck with little time to decide what to do. Panic is not a good guide. The show is shot in long takes with hand-held cameras for the most part. I don't usually like the "shaky cam" look but it fits very well with a "fleeing the apocalypse" story.

The ending isn't entirely satisfying. Some loose ends are left though it isn't really clear that they are planning a sequel series either (which is typical with loose ends). The show is set in the Z Nation tv show universe, which I haven't watched. My impression is that Z Nation is more of a comedy zombie action show, which Black Summer clearly is not. This show is more of a standard "people surviving the apocalypse" drama.

Slightly recommended--this is an average zombie show--nothing especially great and nothing especially bad about it.

Streaming on Netflix as I write this review (June 2019).