ThisVoltron Legendary Defenderreview contains spoilers.We have a spoiler free version here.
Yes, you read that right.
Look, I could end the review right there.
What other series on TV does that?
In the same episode youll also get tons of hilarious jokes.
Never does the comedy undercut the drama nor does the show ever get too serious.
There were two main goals for this season ofVoltron.
Give Keith way more to do then he had in season one and WORLD BUILD.
It accomplishes both of those with stunning efficiency.
One could argue this season is actually defined by Keith.
Most of the big character arcs revolve around him and all hinge on his development.
I wont lie, Keith was my least favorite character in season one.
He wasnt bad; he just didnt get much to do compared with everyone else.
Man, I really like this guy now!
The show also laid just enough clues in season one that the reveal totally works.
I am here for characters that you love showing a darker and meaner side.
One could accuse Allura of straight up… speciesism?
It makes her feel, hilariously enough, more human as a character.
Its a testament to the shows quality that some of her points about hating the Galra make perfect sense.
Why didnt anyone attempt to take down Zarkon in the past thousand years?
Why have they only waited until now?
It gives you pause.
While Shiro has a lot of time to himself, hes already grooming Keith to lead the team.
Shiros story in the show is pretty much done for now.
Speaking of, I adore that they didnt kill Shiro.
Yeah, he died in the original show but that doesnt mean he has to die here.
Having him mysteriously vanish offers up some great storyline potential down the road.
Fans can hope for his return and if he does, itll be big.
Im so glad they also switched up the character pairings this season.
No shocker, theyre all great.
It needs to fart me out of its butt.
The fact this line makes total sense in context is just one of the numerous reasonsVoltronis amazing.
Another of those reasons is of course this seasons commitment to fill out the universe.
Thats right, world building baby!
My god, this is everything I want in television.
Even the Balmerans from season one make an appearance!
Everything from mer-people to tree people and their worlds are gorgeous.
These arent yourStar Trekaw screw it lets just shoot at Vasquez Rocks planets.
We also get some hints to how the wider universe sees Zarkon and quite a few people love him.
A restaurant in episode seven is even named Vrepit Sals.
I love when a show can disguise a bit of world building with a great joke.
Zarkon even has some fanboys with posters of the guy adorning that previously mentioned mall cops office.
So with the season heavily focusing on Keith and the world building, how does everyone else come out?
Well therein lies perhaps my one complaint about the series.
Half the cast doesnt get much character development.
Its not a big complaint for me because I enjoy the characters we have.
Lance got a brief arc about not knowing his place in the team but that was quickly resolved.
Hunk, while hes still my favorite character, is more relegated to comedic bits then getting anything substantial.
I get that Hunk is a simple guy but lets dive a little into what makes him tick.
The master chef segment in episode seven was a nice start but lets see more.
Pidge learned to love nature and one brief moment that I might be reading too much into.
In the Space Mall episode (can you tell thats my favorite?)
Pidge cant decide what restroom to use.
Its played more for laughs with the big alien coming out of one, so Im not sure.
If its about how Pidge self-identities that would be an amazing arc.
hey come back to this, Voltron.
Coran is also relegated to comedic sidekick once again but Im totally fine with him being there.
Hes been that way since the start so I dont need too much of the guys back-story.
Zarkon and Haggar come out much better this season.
He worked with King Alfor and they were Paladins together?
Was Zarkon working for Alfor?
He mentioned the other Paladins ran away?
Are they still possibly out there?
Also, Haggar is Altean!
Why would she join up with Zarkon?
Did they meet during his time working with Alfor?
Voltron season two layers in so many new mysteries without it feeling cheap.
It answers just enough questions but in those answers lie more questions.
Speaking of villains, I love that some more of Zarkons soldiers get humanized.
The prison warden, whos big and scary and nearly kills Shiro and Lance, loves his pet!
One of the generals just really wants to impress Zarkon.
See, all Galra arent so evil.
Its a nice mix up from your usual generic evil generals.
Giving them a bit of comedy makes them far more engaging as little one off characters.
Skipping ahead to the finale just… Thats how you build up to a climax (the music really helped as well).
This is the culmination of Shiros character.
Thats right people, the blazing sword is here.
They dont call it that, yeah, but come on.
Its a sword on fire.Its the blazing sword.
As much asLegendary Defenderdoesnt need these references to the old show its nice that they keep doing them.
Oh yeah, since I mentioned references, did anyone catch the mention of samoflange in episode four?
The show made me love Keith, gave us a ton of aliens, and was hysterical.
What more could you ask for?
This season was another triumph and I cant wait to see what Lotor has for us in season three.
Yep, thats right.
The classic baddie is coming back!
What will he be like?
Will he still be the glorious asshole?
Will he still want to marry Allura cause she looks like his mom?
Season three cant come soon enough.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5
