Warning: This article contains massive spoilers for "Voltron: Legendary Defender."
There are few shows that can convince me to binge-watch them in two days, but Netflix's remake of "Voltron" is definitely one of them. Between action-packed battles with robots lions and a quirky, lovable space family, "Voltron" has something for everyone to enjoy. Last week marked the release of the show's second season, and after giving myself some time to digest it, I've decided to share my thoughts on how this season played out.
Overall, I loved this latest batch of episodes. Most Netflix series are pretty top-notch, and "Voltron" is no exception. There was a lot of intense character development, especially for Keith and Shiro, and the last few episodes leading up to the finale had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. The humor was also on-point throughout, and the fact that we even had time for a goofy space mall episode while trying to save the universe made it even better.
For me, the high point of season two was definitely getting to learn more about Keith and his past. He stole the show in every way possible, and confirmed one of the biggest theories that had been floating around the fandom since season one.
Yes, that knife of his is Galran, as is Keith himself-- or well, half-Galran if you want to get technical. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that his father (who we got to meet during this season, as well) is human, while his mother is Galra, the opposite of what many fans were expecting. Apart from a brief mention, we didn't get to know much about Keith's mom, so I'm willing to bet that she'll make a dramatic appearance in future seasons. Some have even speculated that Keith's mother is actually this mysterious Galra pilot he rescued from a giant space worm:
Personally, I'm inclined to agree with those theories. The show made a big effort to keep this person's identity secret, apart from Keith confirming that they are Galran, so I highly doubt they were there simply by coincidence. Considering how much Keith's heritage was picked apart this season, and the fact that Keith was the one to find them, I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be his long-lost mom.
My other favorite part of season two was watching Shiro and Keith's relationship grow. We already knew they were close, but the brotherly bond was especially evident in the ways they stood by one another this season. Shiro asked Keith to lead Voltron if something were to happen to him, went with Keith to face his trials for the Blade of Mamora, and gave Keith a much-needed hug before their final battle. I think there can be no denying how much Keith looks up to Shiro, and I'm probably just as anxious as Keith to find out what happened to poor Space Dad after this season's cliffhanger.
Now, for all it's good points, there were some major flaws in season two, particularly regarding Lance and Hunk. While Keith was getting episode after episode of character development, Lance and Hunk were both sort of pushed to the wayside and reduced to little more than one-dimensional stereotypes. In the only episode where Lance and Hunk played a main role together, Lance flirted with random alien mermaid girls no less than three times. Personally, I found Lance's flirting a little overdone before, but that episode was beyond overkill. Then there's poor Hunk, who went from "comedic but smart and kindhearted mechanic/master chef" in season one to "large comedy relief character who loves food and gets stuck in small spaces" in season two.
Look at that precious cinnamon bun. If you're going to have a character who's on the bigger side in your show, especially if that show is targeted towards children, don't pigeonhole him into just being the guy who loves to eat. He deserves better.
As for Lance, one of the other aspects of his character that was severely overlooked this season was his insecurities. Towards the finale, we got one brief glimpse of Lance being self-conscious, where he fired off all the cool skills his other teammates had and then started to doubt if he measured up to them. Although he always seems overly cocky, we've gotten hints that, deep down, he doesn't actually feel like he's good enough to be part of Voltron.
This is an incredibly important part of Lance's character, and season two essentially ignored it after the first moment it was brought up. Later in the same episode, Shiro complimented Lance on his sharpshooter skills, and just like that, suddenly Lance was all better. No more insecurities here, no sir. Clearly Lance needs the opportunity to actually talk through his self-doubt with someone, and the show has yet to give him the chance. Hopefully future seasons will do him more justice.
Every show has its faults, and even though there were some parts I wish were handled better, I still adored season two of "Voltron." It reignited the spark of love I have for the show and its characters, and I'll be biting at the bit for any information about its next season. If you haven't watched "Voltron" before and need something new to binge on Netflix, I would highly recommend this crazy space adventure.