The Purge Season Two Review

What started off as a low budget horror film from a relatively unknown little studio named Blumhouse, The Purge, has now spawned 3 feature films, tons of social commentary and now a television series. It is evident more and more effort has been put into these following films and show, as new concepts and settings are explored for a night where all crime is legal.  However, after a nearly-flawless first season, season two attempts to explore new themes and settings in this violent version of America but at the cost of what any viewer surely cares about the most about this franchise, purging.

Season 2 of The Purge introduces viewers to multiple characters with this season arguably favoring some over the others. Ben (Joel Allen) and Turner (Matt Shively), two frat boys who are following the twisted pledges from their fraternity on this night, Esme (Paola Nuñez), a woman working for the NFFA, a group of ex coppers turned robbers, and a couple named Marcus (Derek Luke) and Michelle Moore (Rochelle Aytes). Ben’s subplot arguably was the most interesting as it shows the effects that The Purge can have on someone. Marcus and Michelle’s story delivers on all levels and was compelling to watch throughout.

The main problem with this season was its atrocious pacing. The season as a whole felt like such a slow burn which is something that goes against what the franchise has been known for, keeping viewers alert, aware and wondering what happens next. The beginning of the season was cause for hope though as episodes progressed it felt like mere pointless exposition that contributed relatively nothing to its outcome. Almost the entirety of the series has covered life in between the annual purge which has usually been boring, pointless and not fitting of the franchise. This season’s only redeeming grace would be its final three episodes that offered a lackluster portrayal of the annual “holiday”. 

If one thing can be said about The Purge is how it remains positive is its courage to explore characters from different walks of life. The majority of Purge-related content has solely focused on murder. However, this season features not so violent crimes such as theft and the various injustices perpetrated by the NFFA. Though this made the season at times feel like an action drama more than a horror thriller, it wasn’t as interesting as said typical purge slashing fun. Meanwhile. the writing for the season was also utterly horrible, most prevalent during Ben’s arc. Ultimately, the acting is probably was the best part of this season. However, to say that this made the show great or even relatively good would be a lie. 

The first season of The Purge followed a beautifully crafted formula, as each episode represented one hour of The Purge leading up to its final hours, making it intriguing, suspenseful and a hell of a ride. This season felt almost like a drama that is likely to leave viewers bored. At this point, maybe it’s time we purge The Purge and let it sit in pop culture history as a product of its time while noting its impact on the horror genre.

As much as it is interesting to explore other aspects of this setting that has been around for 6 years now, there is one thing this season has made evident, don’t make a purge anything if it doesn’t focus on The Purge itself. 

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Jaeden Noel