By Daniel Paiz

The Twisted Metal Season 2 recap and Season 3 predictions review is here already! Season 2 is a barrage of bullets, vicious crashes of vehicles and characters, and humor and tension abound. John and Quiet go through peaks and valleys on trust, love, and more. Sweet Tooth continues to bulldoze his way through life. And the new cast of characters brings everything and then some to a dangerous tournament ran by a mysterious man.

Season 2 of Twisted Metal is a show of heart and humor that riddles viewers’ emotions with violence in the best way possible.

[Editor’s Note: minor spoilers in the section Sweet Tooth vs. Calypso].

Season 2 Recap

There is so much going on in these twelve entries. The best way to recap these episodes without summarizing them is to break season 2 down into two parts. The first handful of episodes focus on introducing key players, outlining motives and tournament prep. The second half of episodes focuses on the Twisted Metal tournament itself and the impacts of each round.

John and Quiet start in different places to begin Season 2. These two work better together than separate, but it takes John time to learn Quiet needs no one to do her thing. There are more and more characters added in the first half of the season. There aren’t meant to be spoilers here, but Episode Five is a very memorable entry (especially if you know a certain tune connected to this franchise).

Calypso has more to him than meets the eye; he even has a slip of the tongue showing his age (spoilers on this in Sweet Tooth vs. Calypso).

Something to keep in mind from Season 1 and Season 2 are the wishes that drivers are competing for. The tournament itself is action-packed, filled with scenes reminiscent of the games. The vehicles have all the weapons, ranging from various missiles and rays to shields and character-specific features. The tournament finale also has a wonderful callback to the first Twisted Metal game.

Biggest Character Takeaways

The biggest character takeaways from Season 2 are:

• John learns to trust in a similar vein that Quiet does, but in a way that requires him to be open and vulnerable. John can rely on others; he can be a part of something and not have to go at it alone. Acceptance leads to processing life’s ups and downs, and John can do so with others.
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• Quiet steps into a role of leadership, not just with the Dollfaces early on, but with John and Mayhem. She learns to trust her gut, understand the bigger picture, and what that means for her role in it. Quiet learns that second chances are merited for those who learn from their mistakes and make better choices (a la John and Mayhem again). Quiet is not defined by loss but by growth instead.
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• While a new character for season 2, Mayhem is part of the core character group. Her growth from naive opportunist to seasoned ally gives a deeper look into a myriad of issues outsiders have gone through. She learns what Quiet does in that people are flawed. Those looking out for you might need second chances, especially in the hellish landscape.
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• Sweet Tooth has fought, shot, and driven his way to where he is today. While still being very stubborn, he learns other paths exist besides violence. He can even team up with others when necessary. His obsession for recognition still drives him, and Season 3 will show why.
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• Calypso is still devilishly devoted to his vision. While he yet again sees human resilience rear its stubborn head, he is not deterred. His experience and powers still allow him to continue along his path of carnage and unspoken desire of recognition.

Krista (Dollface), Axel, Stu, Raven, Mike, Vermin, and Grimm all have secondary storylines that add dimensions to the season. Krista is very important to the overall story. She helps remind the core cast of what’s being fought for while also establishing why she is the Dollfaces leader.

Axel gets a deeper look with his flashbacks. Despite his appearance, he is more anti-hero than expected. Stu and Raven go through all the ups and downs and have their moments. Vermin and Grimm are memorable and enjoyable, but temper expectations for them. The two villainous ones also continue to grab the spotlight.

Sweet Tooth vs. Calypso

Sweet Tooth might be a good person. He’s selfish, egotistical, and narcissistic, sure. But if acceptance, respect, and openness are given to him by others, there’s a solid chance he won’t kill you. Calypso will likely kill you even if he agrees with your points and sees where you’re coming from. Sweet Tooth still seeks, nay, craves acceptance and attention. Calypso has bypassed such cravings, and bloodlust seems to feed him more than recognition.  

The tournament organizer is also playing chess while managing a checkers tournament. Each stage is a setup for something down the road. He’s patient. There’s a reason he’s good at this. Season 2 teases that he is indeed at least as old as the infamous 1580s Roanoke colony, A.K.A the Lost Colony. Centuries of powers and plotting are difficult to counter. 

That will be the trick for Season 3, figuring out if there’s a way to outwit Calypso.

Season 3 Predictions

Season 3 is set up nicely as there are a number of potential routes. Most likely what’s going to happen now is that the entire US is a battleground for Twisted Metal to happen everywhere. Insiders now have armed cars, so they’ll be a nuisance, likely very similar to Agent Stone in Season 1. The maps from the games likely become incorporated further as cities will just become those maps. There will be opportunists hunting for John and Quiet. Plus, Calypso will be doing this all for his bloodlust, and something even bigger.

There will also be new characters introduced in a similar vein to character introductions in Season 2. The end of Episode 12 revealed one of those characters, and viewers will get even more darkness than before. Sweet Tooth might have seemed treacherous before, but if one recalls what he said to Stu before the final round, things are going to get truly metal.

Final Verdict

This season focuses on the bloodlust of Calypso, the strengthening of bonds between John and Quiet, and the lengths to which Sweet Tooth will go to acquire fame and in reality, praise/acceptance. The war between insiders and outsiders, A.K.A the rich and poor, is a backdrop in which to better explain characters in both seasons. The lengths to which people will go to survive and then dole out carnage as a means of dealing with their situations reflects current times.

Even the name of Divided States of America feels ripped from headlines today instead of the Twisted Metal universe.

This series does a fantastic job of digging into the lore of the games. There are also comics and a YouTube movie related to this franchise, and it seems showrunners tapped into those as well. A thrashing together of violence, humor, and the unexpected best describes this series. I can’t wait for future seasons, and perhaps our portals prediction from Season 1 will finally get incorporated.