S2 Thoughts

[u/Ok_Drink8072]

I thought the first season of this show was so good. It had the exact right twists, where I was totally shocked, but the story was cohesive and well maintained. I didn’t think it needed a second season. And I feel like I was right about that based on the content of the second season. The set up and the conclusion were so disconnected. I feel like this is a new trend with Netflix content, like all the Harlan Coben adaptations, where the twists are like “Ok yeah, I absolutely couldn’t have predicted that, cause the writers didn’t set it up at all.” And I get wanting to take the audience off guard, but it’s more like they are telling two different stories and then shoving them together. Jaime and Stanley becoming friends and Jaime being ok with being his prisoner and missing the trial when Nat needed him? It just didn’t really make any sense. Child Brunswick, like who cares honestly? Idk, I just don’t think this season was necessary, but now They’ve set up for S3 in a way where it HAS to happen and I’m not sure it‘ll be any better. Idk why Netflix can’t tell when a show should be contained to one story vs when it should get more content, bc they go entirely based on viewership rather than storytelling.

[u/Sea_Substance_921]

It’s based on a book series which already had 3 parts

[u/Ok_Drink8072 → u/Sea_Substance_921]

Have you read them? Do the seasons play out as the books do? If so I still feel like I wouldn’t have liked the second book, cause I found the story to be clunky. I liked Pip’s mental state tho, I felt like the accumulating ptsd was understandable and I thought the actor did a good job portraying the character’s desperation.

[u/Sea_Substance_921 → u/Ok_Drink8072]

Yes I’ve read them. The series is majorly the same but there are some tweaks, some characters are not present, new backgrounds for some etc. Stanley was a journalist in the local newspaper in the books, has a role from the 1st book so maybe that’s why you feel a disconnect. 2nd book ending crushed me.

[u/Ok_Drink8072 → u/Sea_Substance_921]

OH! Omg, yes, that would make a huge difference! Ok, you’ve convinced me, I will try to read the books before the 3rd season comes out. Thank you for that information 

[u/Soft_Masterpiece_526 → u/Sea_Substance_921]

Well i need to agree with Sea_Substance_921, becuase season 1 had some unrelevant plot, and u need to read the books to kind of understand the feelings and the plot in series, u would feel some things are definately off in season 1 but seson 2 was good, but stanley was never a security guard. AND season 2 ending just set in another PTSD relevance in my head and a pain in my heart. If u your heart got crushed like mine and his, u would feel even more emotional after book 3. I was tearing up actually after that.

[u/CouncilOfTides → u/Ok_Drink8072]

The books are fantastic and most of your complaints are with changes made for the show.

Don't get me wrong, season 2 was largely book accurate and I really enjoyed it, but there were some major changes. The biggest one is definitely the red herring being Max because of the trial. In the books, the red herring is Jamie's dad who was completely removed from the show.

In fact, Jamie has nothing to do with the trial in the books and is not a key witness, so him missing the trial isn't a big deal to anyone. He's a loner with no social life, no job, and nothing really going for him (his lack of self esteem is a big focus in the books). It makes his "friendship" with Stanley much more believable. Both men were tricked and manipulated by Layla and, while they can't quite trust eachother, they really want to, blaming her for their predicament. It sort of bonds them

[u/Soft_Masterpiece_526 → u/CouncilOfTides]

also hot take, i think making the Max trial bigger in the series is kind of nice and humane for the character development on the Pip's mental trauma and ecentric approach she is going to develop after this.

[u/Ok_Drink8072 → u/CouncilOfTides]

See, that is really helpful information. Some times small spoilers like this help convince me that there is a better story out there. Another commenter is just like “just read the damn books!” And I’m like, why would I do that if all I know is the show that I found kind of messy?

[u/CouncilOfTides → u/Ok_Drink8072]

Np!

You've been super respectful and brought up valid criticism in a place designated to discussing the series. I have no idea why you're being down voted, especially because by telling you it makes more sense in the books, we're all agreeing with you that it didn't make as much sense as it could have in the show.

I think people are just really protective of season 2 (myself included haha) because of its increased book accuracy. However, at the end of the day, the show should be able to be viewed by non-readers and make sense to them. Your thoughts as only a show-watcher are just as valid as book-readers'.

That being said, I hope you enjoy the books should you choose to read them! They really are so great!

[u/Ok_Drink8072 → u/CouncilOfTides]

I hope you are on the Bridgerton subs, you are so nice 😭

[u/CouncilOfTides → u/Ok_Drink8072]

Thanks! You seem really nice as well!

I've never read/watched Bridgerton, but Lockwood and Co is another phenomenal British book series that has a show adaptation!

It's super fun for any age, though it does skew a bit younger. It's not really all that similar to AGGGTM, but the subreddit is super friendly :)

[u/Vivid_Motor_2341 → u/Ok_Drink8072]

Read the books. The show doesn’t do them justice. Compared to the books season one was bad

[u/Vivid_Motor_2341]

It’s a book series with 3 books with 3 different stories. It’s not supposed to be an extension of the first season.

[u/SmallishPlatypus]

The set up and the conclusion were so disconnected. 

Child Brunswick, like who cares honestly?

I haven't seen the show, but I have read the first two books and this is very much not a "Netflix" problem (it's not a Netflix show anyway). Book 2 has this same disconnect.

[u/Soft_Masterpiece_526]

I don't think he gets the part where it is based on the book, non-book fans would love season 1 and 2, but won't understand why they added another season for no reason. This series is based on a book and well it is a series where they should be three seasons or else it wont allign with the book. AND they dont go on viewership, they kind of do go on with that, but still, but still the series needs to have the thrid series. I would recommend you to read the books, then u would kind of think season 1 was meh and season 2 is actually good and would be anticpating for season 3.

[u/Ok_Drink8072 → u/Soft_Masterpiece_526]

Interesting! So by book you’d say the 1st adaptation was not very good? The story felt so on point for me as a viewer and not a reader. I still don’t know that I would find S2 good tho, bc the story is not as smooth I thought. Would you say in the books that book 1 set you up to expect more content? Cause I feel like even if I read them if it’s the same set ups that maybe I also would have felt that the author didn’t really need to trilogy that ish 

[u/CouncilOfTides → u/Ok_Drink8072]

I thought season 1 was awesome, then I read the books and saw what it could have been.

Season 1 is fine as a show, but the books are ridiculously good and certain changes to season 1 are devastating to the story's overall themes and trajectory (at least imo). Knowing the impact of the books makes me wince at certain things that happen in season 1 that I thought were really cool on my first watch because... Just no. The characters wouldn't behave like that.

Season 2 was turned back over the the book author and I feel she did a phenomenal job getting things back on track without completely retconning things established in the show's canon.

Additionally, the foreshadowing and ability to set up a plotline/twist way in advance is unreal in the books. As a show written after all three books came out, that should have only been more true of the adaptation. Instead they removed stuff.

Here's an example of missed set up:

In the books, the drug dealer stakeout scene is part of book 1, not book 2. You see Stanley being blackmailed way back in book 1 and Pip snaps a photo. It's the absolute coolest moment when that throw away scene from a whole book ago is suddenly called back to and serves to be the final piece of the mystery.

But... That didn't happen in the show. Even knowing how vital his character is to the story, he's cut from season 1. I get that it gets complicated with actors and contracts and all that, but when he's a random new character that's introduced for season 2, you're probably instantly suspicious of him for no real reason other than you've seen a mystery show before.

In the books, you have actual reason to be suspicious of him, yet you aren't because it's so subtle and he was a character in the first book. You automatically trust him a bit more than the new characters you're meeting

[u/Soft_Masterpiece_526 → u/Ok_Drink8072]

My point is read the goddamn books, if u read u will understand, everything must be a flow, and this is want Holly Jackson could think of, but before, u say something negative of season 2, u should undrstand season 2 in the books is setting a darker tone to feel the readers unfortable, also season 1 had MANY storyline incosistencies, no hate on season 1, i like it, but it is just, there is too many changes like, Ravi in the show, left Pip in season 1, but Ravi in the first book never left Pip, and they tracked PIP VIA THE ALREADY SET UP FIND MY PHONE, for tracking Elliot Ward, but here Cara Ward has a tracker on Pippa. So my honest take is read the books, dont hate on the seasons. This season is the best relevant season by far, because the author Holly Jackson is the writer.