Despite how much I like The Order and was looking forward to season two, which just dropped on Netflix, it took a little bit longer for me to watch it. Mainly because I’m only really interested in tv shows that I can mindlessly binge right now (NCIS). As I said in my Recap of Season One, The Order is a show that I enjoy watching. It’s fun. I talked a bit in my Gone Too Soon about Ravenswood on the need for tv shows that don’t take themselves too seriously, and The Order fits this bill. Spoilers on season two ahead, obviously.
The Good
The things I like about this season of The Order, greatly outweigh the things that I didn’t like. It can be hard for shows to find their footing in the second season and The Order is no different. You start a show with a basic premise, good writing and hopefully a renewal. You blow up that premise at the end of the first season. Your characters are left scrambling and in a show where, at least for me, the characters are the most important part that can leave you on uneasy ground going forward. The Order knows the identity of the werewolves and the villain/central plot of the show has been defeated. The biggest question is, where does The Order go after leaving most of the characters with their memories wiped?
Fortunately, we get that answer almost immediately, the memory loss plot isn’t drug out. When we last left The Knights, they had just, presumably, had their memories of The Order removed. If this was a show that had more than ten episodes then I wouldn’t mind spending more time exploring who The Knights are as characters when they don’t know they are werewolves. When you only have ten episodes you have a lot of plot to get through and not a lot of time to do it. I appreciate that the characters learn who, and what, they are quickly.
The Best
I was originally team werewolf (and I still am), but I like The Order and The Knights working together so much more. For one, I am fully on-board with Vera (Katharine Isabelle, Ginger Snaps) and Hamish (Thomas Elms, Motherland: Fort Salem). I even mention them seemingly flirting in season one. It also gives the show a new dimension. Season one framed the actions as the wolves as good and the actions of The Order as bad. Season two expands on that, finding the grey area. Not every member of The Order is bad and the wolves must hold The Order accountable for their actions. Relationships are strengthened because the characters are given more to do and more people to interact with. It gives Vera more to do. Katherine Isabelle is great this season, but I love her in everything she does, Hannibal for example. Vera is more sympathetic, she goes beyond (seemingly) callous leader the characters is
The expanded mythos gives all the characters time to shine. We get to see who Jack (Jake Manley, A Dog’s Journey) is without the influence of his grandfather and he became a lot more likable. The werewolves learn how to use magic and work with The Order. We see more of what they are capable of besides beer pong. Randall (Adam DiMarco, The Magicians) killed someone to get Lilith back, what will this mean for his character going forward? His relationship with Gabrielle (Louriza Tronco, Spiral) should be interesting moving forward, I like the two of them together.
Gabrielle became so much more than a vapid foil to the main characters, sure she is still pretty selfish, but she was given the chance to be heroic. She wants to fit into a group and it seems like The Knights are good for her. She could become the female anti-hero that I have been wanting to see on television.
The Strange
I understand that the Knights summoning a demon to steal their stuff back from The Order was necessary for the plot of the entire season. The werewolves, foolishly, believe that they can summon a demon to steal back their magical artifacts, including Silverback’s hide, from The Order. I get that they were angry, but the Knights are usually more levelheaded than that. Randall was the only voice of reason, saying that summoning a demon was a bad idea. For a group that previously denounced magic, jumping into demon summoning so quickly seemed odd.
Now let’s unpack Alyssa’s (Sarah Grey, Power Rangers) actions this season. Her becoming a villain was unexpected. She turned on The Order for petty reasons; when her magic was affected she no longer believed in The Order. Alyssa claims to believe that magic should be for everyone, but only cared about having her magic back. She even took Vera’s away from her, just for payback! Her motivations, and her relationship with Jack, were all over the place.
Season 3 Speculation
So I guess the biggest question heading into season 3 of The Order is if Alyssa is dead or not. Midnight (or Gabrielle since she is currently inhabited by the wolf) slit her throat and it certainly looks as if she is dead. Since Jack took the Vade Maecum and Alyssa into the woods it’s possible that he is planning on bringing her back to life. I for one hope he doesn’t. It’s not that I don’t like Alyssa as a character, sometimes her choices don’t make sense to me, but unlike most of the fans I don’t hate her. Nothing good ever comes from bringing someone back from the dead and after a season where it seemed like the Knights made a few bad decisions.
If Alyssa is indeed dead then what does that mean for Vera’s powers since she had taken them from Vera and was in possession of them when she died?
The other Knights rescued Lilith (Devery Jacobs, American Gods) from Hell, but she wanted to stay there and now she has a demon mark on her face. She was gone for six episodes, which just meant that I wish she wasn’t even in most of the season. I mean her name is Lilith so it makes sense that she would become a demon, but I honestly hope that she isn’t the main bad guy for the entire season. I really like Lilith and would rather spend the season trying to get rid of the demon.
Where are the Knights now? Jack, Randall, and Hamish are going to have a lot to work out in a new season.
Renewal Odds
I think it’s probably about 50/50. The Order never appeared in the coming soon section on Netflix, but it was at the top of the homepage for me. It’s also number two on the Top 10 shows in the U.S on Netflix and was number three on the TV Time binge report, all of which has me optimistic. I don’t want The Order to end up in my Gone Too Soon Column. This show also seems to have a pretty big international audience. When it first dropped it seemed like the majority of tweets in the hashtag were in foreign languages.
There are quite a few shows, Never Have I Ever and Sweet Magnolias among them, that are awaiting decisions from Netflix. I hope that Netflix renews them all.
Final Notes:
- There were so many familiar faces this season, Sasha Roiz as the Rogwan Demon (between Lincoln Rhyme and this I have seen a lot of Grimm alumni lately), James Marsters as Xavier, Steve Bacic as Malachi (though that may just be me with my Hallmark obsession).
- How did the Jason Priestly and Ian Ziering cameos come about, because I kind of loved it?
- Can we give Anesha Bailey more to do next season? I want to see more of Nichole and how her and Lilith’s relationship develops from here.
- I will miss Kepler (Françoise Yip). The sniping between her and Vera was always funny.
- Five actors from this show are in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Zapped. This isn’t significant in any way, it’s just odd.
- I watch a ton of Canadian television and shows filmed in Canada. You would be amazed at how many people in this show have appeared in Hallmark movies. It’s a lot.
What did you think about this season of The Order? What are you hoping for in the third season?