Review of The Hollow: Season Two

By Dave B.

The second season of The Hollow finds Adam, Mira, and Kai back home with their respective families. But something is wrong and the teammates find that the “real” world is filled with unexpected nightmares. The trio go off in search of answers as to why, despite their victory, they can’t seem to escape the virtual world. 

The Hollow: Season One, was delightfully trippy with an unexpectedly engaging mystery. Season Two doesn’t quite reach the entertainment value of it’s predecessor. The Hollow remains funny and moderately entertaining. And for the most part, it’s definitely watchable. But the central premise of the show doesn’t have staying power and the interpersonal dynamics of this new season make the show a lot less enjoyable than the last outing. 

The second season is filled with endless bickering and recriminations that distract from the larger plot. This season also loses some of the magic that the first had due to the team having their memories intact. The mystery isn’t really that mysterious simply because there is only one plausible explanation and that explanation is confirmed almost immediately. Instead of finding out what is going on, the group is trying to find out why what’s happening is happening and how to fix it. To me, that makes for a less complex, less immersive experience. Fundamentally, part of what made the first season so captivating is that it takes time for both the characters and the audience realize the reality of the virtual world. That’s fun. Without that element, the second season feels a bit stale.

Unlike some of Netflix’s more noteworthy animated series, like The Dragon Prince (I implore you to watch it if you haven’t seen it yet!), The Hollow: Season Two fails to capitalize on the strengths of its original season and in fact regresses in several ways. That’s not to say that the show’s quality has diminished enough that I don’t recommend it. I do, at least for viewers who were enthralled with season one. But fundamentally, what the new season shows is that it’s probably for the best if this were the last installment of The Hollow, at least with the current cast of characters. They simply aren’t likeable enough to carry a show whose creativity is clearly waning. 

Service: Netflix
Episodes: 10
Approx. Episode Length: 23 Minutes
Rating: 5.5/10