Starting the season with a number of tricks of the sleeve-swapping trade, Altered Carbon beings with a smart, reintroductory episode. We follow Takeshi Kovacs on his seemingly endless journey of finding Falconer. Years have passed with Takeshi going from city to city, planet to planet to find any trace of the woman who has captured his mind and heart. Without getting much into spoilers, I will say that it is refreshing to see that this season almost feels like a refresh for the show. Not that it needed it, but I like that we are on another planet, dealing with a whole new slew of people and issues while still feeling like the exact same universe and following the mythic Takeshi.
Anthony Mackie is solid in the role of Takeshi. Because it’s been awhile since season came to an end, it is hard to pinpoint what Takeshi would be like now, how his character has changed and what experiences he has had. Mackie is a little less stoic and angry than Joel Kinnaman from last season, and it is hard to say if this is just Mackie’s take on Takeshi or if it is the progression and growth of Takeshi as a character. But for now, Mackie feels, acts, and sounds like Takeshi Kovacs, the Last Envoy.
One of the greatest things about Altered Carbon Season 1 was the sheer amount of world-building and lore pouring from every moment of the show. Never did it baby or coddle the viewers with excessive exposition, and thankfully, Season 2 is just as brutal, throwing terms, names, history, and character motivations to the viewer with no filter. This continues, like last season, to give the show a lot of depth, reality, and tangibility which makes the show a lot of work to watch, but worthwhile.
As a start to Season 2, I think things are going surprisingly well. Season 1 took some time to get its footing and solidify characters, but Season 2 is already shaping up better while keeping things a little more simple and straightforward. We get some brutal revelations, great action, and a revitalized reason to watch Takeshi shoot and punch his way to his end goals with Episode 1.
If you watched the first episode of the Season 2, let us know what you all thought!