The End of the F***ing World is still great in Season 2, despite some missteps

The Hollywood Reporter

"Once the decision was made to do a second season and the overriding rule of what would make it work — having Alyssa and James be together in some form — was decided, all that was left was to not fall too short of the high-water mark that season one set," says Tim Goodman of the British Netflix series. "The good news is that season two of The End of the F***ing World stays true to the vibe of the first season, has a decently good but not great story and manages, by the end of the final episode (of eight in total), to have righted most of the wrongs that came before it. And yes, there are some missteps." He adds: "That said, the better parts are more frequent than the lacking parts; it's a pleasure to have James and Alyssa back in viewers' lives, no matter how damaged they are."

ALSO:

• Season 2 is proof that The End of the F***ing World should've ended with Season 1: "In the ongoing case of 'Well, That TV Show Definitely Did Not Need a Second Season,' I present exhibit No. 812: the second season of The End of the F***ing World, says Jen Chaney. "The follow-up to the first season of this British series, picked up by Netflix for international distribution, takes what was an audacious riff on the classic 'two crime-committing lovers on the run' story and drains it of anything resembling a pulse."
• The End of the F***ing World grows up in Season 2, moving beyond its gimmicks for a deeply rewarding season
• Season 2 is pretty much what everyone was worried about
• It is refreshing to find a show that feels distinctly original and, perhaps most importantly, clocks in at under three hours per season
• While the second season doesn't exactly feel necessary, it's still fun to take another aimless ride with the show's resident weirdos and see where we end up
• Season 2's 20-minute installments are hymns to brevity