Welcome to Killjoys season two. If you thought season one was about as calm as a bull in a china shop, consider this a bull on steroids in a china shop.

Whew, Michelle Lovretta—you did not let up pace. Picking up quickly from where we left last season, two hefty storylines propelled this hugely plot-dense season forwards. It’s a pleasant juxtaposition. Last season, some stayed to save Oldtown; some (namely Dutch, John and D’Avin) left to scour the universe for answers.

Did they find any? Ultimately, they did—only to open another can of worms (and a season three!). What worked about this season was that it wasn’t your normal procedural plodder. Instead, this year’s scripts were tight, adventurous and they made sense. Nobody could’ve watched ‘Killjoys’ this season without feeling an immense pay-off at the end—that, among the cast and creator’s enthusiastic social media engagement—is key.

There really isn’t much to say about the music choice. Every single time, the music elevates the scenes the actors are in—be it D’Avin (Luke Macfarlane) kicking some proper ass, or Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen) doing the same (but ten times better—sorry D’Av).

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Hannah John-Kamen and Aaron Ashmore remain the true heart of the show.

From the very beginning, the superb Dutch and John (Aaron Ashmore) have been the true heart of the show. Having known each other for years, they knew each other inside out. And as this rift gradually grows apart it is so heartbreaking to watch. That being said, every single guest-star has been exceptional; there hasn’t been a weak link. Even with John’s budding but short-lived romance with Pawter (the luminous Sarah Power) you get the sense that whilst John’s heart was in this one-hundred percent, his loyalty lay utmost to his sister-figure, Dutch.

They’re entertaining, too. Their banter is light-hearted and funny, but most importantly, they understand each other inherently. What John-Kamen and Ashmore have expertly crafted is an intense, all-consuming friendship. And it’s a sheer breath of fresh air that Dutch and John can be such devoted platonic partners without ending it romantically. Arguably, their platonic relationship is more engaging than any romance on the show. This is the dynamic that works. John-Kamen and Ashmore struck absolute gold working together, but it is Michelle Lovretta who we must thank also for bringing such an intimate, impactful relationship to us.

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Graphics, world-building, fight choreography and music—all spot-on.

Something ‘Killjoys’ has always excelled at is the use of music and the always expanding universe. This season, somehow, they took it up a notch. The music is enchanting and fits snugly with whatever scene our characters are in. In particular, the fight scenes are only elevated by the perfect use of some seriously kickass music (whilst—and it’s usually Dutch—does some serious ass-kicking too). As a result, you end up with a scene where you cannot help but grin widely and silently fist-pump. We know Dutch will kick anybody’s ass and she’ll do it so coolly. But to a flawless soundtrack, it’s even better. We don’t just watch television; we hear it, too.

With Arkyn and the Black Root storyline, it meant we got more locations too. Arkyn’s an absolute mystery, and a scary one too. It links to Aneela, who is a mystery that must be carried forward to season three.

But perhaps the biggest and most obvious improvement has been the graphics. Season one was by no means bad on the CGI front—but this year, Lovretta & co have upped their game. Some of the scenes have been a pure feast for the eyes. While the old opening credits will be sorely missed, the cyberpunk feel of this year’s is fun and exciting. Television is not all witty lines (of which there are plenty), action sequences and plot—it’s something we watch, and if it’s gorgeous to watch, then that’s bonus points in the piggy bank.

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The Company storyline was undeniably dark and twisted, but to juggle it with lightness in every episode was needed—and ‘Killjoys’ did it remarkably well.

To put it simply: the Company’s ideas for Oldtown (and their intention was to expand) was frankly scary. The use of Oldtown as an experimental ant-farm was disgusting and a complete violation of the civilians’ rights. It’s a dark story to tell, but something that isn’t out of reach or too fantastical. The idea of an oppressive government duping its civilians is not new and nor is it exclusive to fiction.

The storyline was told sensitively but ‘Killjoys’ didn’t shy away from the gory, horrible nature of it all. Yet what ‘Killjoys’ does exceptionally well is balance the darkness of this particular plotline and weighs it up with some of its usual snippy banter. There are one-liners thrown out like nobody’s business—and they’re genuinely funny.

In particular, the banter between Lucy (Tamsen McDonough) and John (and everyone else, actually) has been a highlight this season. To voice-act so well and integrate so deeply within the team is no easy task, and McDonough does an exceptional job of injecting some strait-laced humour into the story. The episode in which she manifests itself into an android-bot form (and steals a kiss off a confused John) was an absolute highlight.

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Every single supporting character was exceptional.

‘Killjoys’ has always boasted compelling guest and recurring stars—and again, this season, they’ve taken it to a whole new level. We cannot speak more favourably of Sarah Power as the disgraced Dr. Pawter Simms, who rises from the ashes like a phoenix. From the backdoor doctor to a powerful, intelligent ‘lady of the land’, Pawter never loses her heart. She loves John. She loves, more importantly, her people of Oldtown. We cannot sing enough praises about Sarah Power’s enchanting portrayal of her—and quite often, she stole the show.

That’s not all. Mayko Nguyen as the devilish Delle Seyah Kendry is played to haughty, regal perfection. Everything from the tilt of her chin upwards, to the self-important way she walks—Delle is not someone to be messed with, and Nguyen makes sure of that. Pascal Langdale is her smarmy, slappable sidekick who is the character you love to hate.

Though we didn’t see much of Khlyen (Rob Stewart) and Bellus (Nora Mclellan), we did get a comeback for fan-favourite Steph Leonidas as Clara and a potential season three role. She has a robotic arm. Need I say more?

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Final Verdict: Season two was a good attempt at serialisation; it was not perfect but boy it was entertaining—and it left a lot of promise for season three, sewing roots for the expansion of a beautifully crafted universe.

What Michelle Lovretta and her writing staff accomplished this season must be commended. Serialisation from the beginning was a joy to watch; it set up promising plot-threads for the future episodes. The only downfall was that, with ten episodes, it did feel somewhat rushed at times. Problems were sometimes solved too quickly; too easily. In particular, the mystery of Arkyn and the ‘green goo’ was dragged out for most of the season only to be truly resolved in the finale.

Whilst the guest stars were brilliant, perhaps there were too many. It meant Bellus hardly got any screen-time. The same goes for Khlyen and Fancy Lee (Sean Baek).

On the plus side, the graphics, music and fight choreography were brilliant as ever. The humour was brilliant as ever. Most importantly, the characterisation and continual development of the core three—Dutch, John and D’Avin—remained consistent. No matter what happened, we rooted for those three—and that matters. It means ‘Killjoys’ has incredible heart. It’s one of the most enjoyable series we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. There aren’t many that leave a grin on your face after every single episode, and ‘Killjoys’ manages that—so kudos and we really, really can’t wait until season three. Have some Hokk on us, Ms. Lovretta & co. You darn well deserve it.

Catch KILLJOYS next year in 2017 on Syfy or Space!