Britannia season 2 is finally here, and after watching the first episode I caught myself wondering if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, the show still has absolutely no idea what it is – is it high fantasy, is it a drama with comedic elements, is it just drama, or is it a religious parable? I don’t know, because they don’t know, and there are times where they’re trying to be all those things at once, which does not work.
At all.
If you add that to the fact that, one season in, we’re still not exactly sure who we should care for, you have a messy show that can be entertaining at times, but that is always trying too hard to shock you, and hardly ever lets you settle into a feeling of …anything. I don’t love anyone, or hate anyone, or have any real strong feelings about , yeah, I hate repeating words, but …anything. And that’s a problem.
Like, they literally crucified Jesus in this one, and I, who was raised Catholic and attended a Jesuit school, just went …ah, okay? That’s a bold choice to attempt to …garner some sympthy?
But I don’t care. You think Aulus having someone to dick measure with us an interesting storyline for me? I managed to get through one season without caring about Aulus one bit, throwing another man into his general orbit will not make me care any more, I promise you that.
Then there’s Cait’s training, which is supposed to be …eh, funny? I don’t even know. She’s meant to topple the Empire at some point, but for now we can just laugh at her?
Veran and the Druids could be interesting, except all we get are glimpses of them that are hardly ever explained to our satisfaction. Yes, they remain creepy, but what is it they want, why do they want it and why does Veran have a twin hiding in the forest? These are the mysteries we don’t trust them to actually, you know, solve.
At this point, Amena might just be the most interesting character. Despite a rocky first season of not actually liking her, she has been one of the most consistent characters. She doesn’t just want to survive, she wants to thrive, and she will do whatever she has to do, betray whoever she has to. If you are one of the people under her care, well …you don’t really care about the means, just the end.
How all these storylines come together – which I assume they will have to, at some point, is anyone’s guess. Once they do, though, I hope the show can settle on a tone, because right now, I cannot even imagine that mess.
May the odds be ever in our – and their – favor.
Britannia airs Sundays at 9/8c on Epix.
