Stream It or Skip It: ‘Pacific Rim: The Black’ Season 2 on Netflix, Coming Back Bigger, Badder, and Darker Than Before

The first season of Netflix’s Pacific Rim: The Black centered on Hayley (Gideon Adlon) and Taylor Travis (Calum Worthy), twins struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic vision of Australia that’s been all but taken over by kaiju, the massive creatures introduced in 2013’s live-action Pacific Rim. Hayley and Taylor spend time trying to figure out how to pilot a massive kaiju they find lying in wait while looking for their parents as well as salvation. But there’s so much more going on than that, too – a whole lot. Season 1 ended with the reveal of the Sisters of the Kaiju, or a cult of monster worshipers, viewing the newfound human/kaiju hybrid “Boy” as a kaiju messiah. If you found the first season bizarre, the second dials up the weird considerably.

PACIFIC RIM: THE BLACK SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A Kaiju roars through debris, red-eyed and snarling, It’s Boy, who Hayley desperately wants to help, though Taylor isn’t so sure. This is the very same kaiju/human hybrid the twins have been traveling with since last season, though it’s become clear the pair are at a crossroads as to what to do with him. Thus, the twins engage in a heated argument about whether they should leave Boy trapped within the rubble or work to save him. Either way, he’s become their responsibility.

The Gist: This season picks up immediately where the previous set of episodes left off, which means you can continue straight forward into this new episode as well. Twins Taylor and Hayley continue to trek across the Australian outback with their newfound Jaeger, Atlas Destroyer, as well as allies Mei and Boy. After the conclusion of season 1, when we first met the cult-like kaiju worshipers Sisters of the Kaiju, we were introduced to the ideology that Boy is a type of kaiju messiah.

Now, we see Boy in his terrifying kaiju form, and Taylor and Hayley mull over what to do with him. Despite the fact that he has a human form, it’s unclear how long he’ll actually remain stable in this form, and the mere fact that he can transform puts the traveling party in imminent danger, especially if he loses himself. This calls into question the need to bring him along with Taylor, Hayley, and Mei, or whether to leave him to the Sisters of the Kaiju.

As it turns out, Boy was forced to transform into a Kaiju due to a “kaiju tick” the Sisters of the Kaiju attached to him. He’s able to return to his human form, but the tick’s poison is still coursing through his body. A strange kaiju fanatic comes forward with a way to treat him, but the entire group must travel to his home in Never-Never Valley. Unfortunately, that home has been overrun by kaiju, a recurring problem that looks like it’ll plague our heroes this season: the logistics of whether it’s worth it to save others or move on, cutting their losses or taking in those they deem important or special, much like their village did for them so many years ago.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Of course, there’s last season of Pacific Rim: The Black to keep in mind, as by now the two installations so far feel like two very different halves of the same whole. While the previous season dealt with themes more endemic to the films, this season kicks off with character drama that feels like the natural evolution of the story. Fans will immediately pick up on Neon Genesis Evangelion vibes as well as Gundam, The Big O, and even Godzilla, the grandfather of the kaiju flick.

Our Take: Pacific Rim: The Black Season 2 builds on the bleak world the first set of seven episodes established in a way that gives it breathing room to continue expanding. We’re now in a much more dramatic world that centers around more philosophical questions, mostly revolving around what it means to be human, how humans and kaiju might be able to peacefully co-exist, and how to deal with fanatical cults who want you dead. Of course, this first episode can’t very well answer that question on its own, but it lays some brilliant groundwork to get us on track.

Sex and Skin: As with the first season’s opener, there’s none of that here. No one’s thinking of parading around in their birthday suit with enormous kaiju on the loose, but you probably already knew that.

Parting Shot: Taylor, Hayley, and Mei happen upon Never-Never Valley, where Kaiju Man lives. It’s positively swarming with kaiju, and all seems lost. How could they possibly delve down into such a dangerous, bleak situation? They’re going to have to, or else Boy may be lost for good.

Sleeper Star: Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows) is a surprising voice who pops up as the Kaiju fanatic, otherwise known as Kaiju Man. His rugged vocal tone and accent feel like a natural fit for the Australian setting, and he manages to steal every brief scene he’s in. He’s always a delight, whether he’s stretching his legs in a drama or cracking jokes, and he’s immediately recognizable here.

Most Pilot-y Line: While arguing with Hayley over whether to save Boy and take him with them on their journey, Taylor lets a particularly cutting line fly: “I know it’ll kill you if it had the chance.” This outburst is central to much of the episode and the ensuing season: is Boy worth saving, or will this deed come back to bite everyone in the end?

Our Call: STREAM IT. Pacific Rim: The Black made the case for a compelling anime entry into the kaiju-centric media franchise, and it did so in a gripping, exciting way. Now that it’s returned for a second season with established characters, stakes, and new faces, it’s elevated beyond a mere curiosity into must-watch territory, both for casual anime fans and anyone who wants more out of the Pacific Rim franchise as a whole.

Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over a decade for publications like G4, Popular Science, Playboy, Variety, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, GameSpot, and more. When she’s not writing or gaming, she’s collecting retro consoles and tech. Follow her on Twitter: @MolotovCupcake.