The Rain – Netflix Season 2 Review
May 17 May 18 Greg Wheeler
Avoid Conflict – | Review Score – 3.5/5
The Truth Hurts – | Review Score – 3/5
Stay In Control – | Review Score – 3/5
Save Yourself – | Review Score – 3/5
Keep It Together – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Survival of the Fittest – | Review Score – 3.5/5
I wasn't a big fan of The Rain. Despite an intriguing premise and a refreshing change of locale from the usual post apocalyptic wasteland of urban America, The Rain failed to really stand out against the glut of other shows in this category. Back for a second season, The Rain picks up right where it left off from before, with an injection of action and urgency sorely lacking from the first season. Unfortunately, the changed pace and narrative direction all but abandons the original premise of the show, turning The Rain into something very different indeed. With another cliffhanger ending and a reduced episode count this time around, The Rain fails to improve much over the first season, despite some stand out moments.
The story begins with Simone, Rasmus and the others racing away from Apollon. Given one final mission from their Father, Simone and the others race to find a cure to Rasmus' mutated form of the virus which happens to form the crux of the plot this year. Finding refuge in a nearby facility housing rebel scientists, the rest of the episodes see Rasmus' condition worsen while the others try and outpace Apollon and remain undetected. This proves easier said than done though, and as the teens venture outside, they come across new survivors that help deepen the world building on offer here.
For a show called The Rain, there's a certain sense of poetic irony here that rainfall seems to be a thing of the past. Excluding the character flashbacks which make a return for each character this year actually depicting rain falling, I can't actually remember many scenes with the characters outside braving rainfall. It's something that really hurt the first season and given the amount of time that's passed for these survivors, this threat is ultimately a thing of the past now. Instead, The Rain turns its attention to Rasmus who discovers his viral infection holds dark powers that may just be the key to their salvation…or destruction. It's certainly a nice twist but it's also one that makes this an almost unrecognizable show when you compare it to the first season.
As a teen-orientated apocalypse, all the usual angst and melodrama crops up here too. Lea and Jean's growing relationship feels like filler for much of the season until near the finale where these scenes do make more sense whilst the usual array of kissing and relationship woes are a mainstay here too. Thankfully the minimalist score and pretty decent camera work do well to keep things interesting, even if the narrative doesn't always follow suit.
The Rain sheds its skin this year and evolves into a very different show. While there are enjoyable elements here, including a good injection of urgency as the teens try and out-maneuver Apollon, this feels like a far cry from the show we were presented with last year. In a way this is good, offering a much better pacing and deeper characterisation in the process, but also potentially alienating those who started watching based on the idea of rainfall infecting its subjects. With an ending that looks set to change The Rain into a different show altogether again (if it's renewed), The Rain does well to improve on the first season but only just, offering a bleak but oftentimes forgettable look at a Scandinavian apocalypse.
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Posted in Sci-fi, thriller, TV ShowsTagged 2019, Alba August, Angela Bundalovic, Iben Hjejle, Jessica Dinnage, Johannes Kuhnke, Lars Simonsen, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Lukas Løkken, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, netflix, Rashid Aitouganov, sci-fi, Sonny Lindberg, thriller, tv shows