Simple title I know, but it’s true. Thanks to Dreamworks Animation, I once again had the opportunity to check out the new season of Jurassic World Chaos Theory early, and I have to be honest with you – I loved it. This season did so many interesting things which built on the strong foundations of the first season, and was an outing which had me grinning from ear-to-ear as I experienced it.
This is a non-spoiler review, so I’ll be writing in very basic terms about some of the overarching features which make the second season so great in my opinion. Once everyone has had some time to experience the new season, I will also release a spoiler review which will dive deeper into some of the moments and concepts which I think made it so great – so keep your eyes peeled for that! Let’s dive in.
First, we need to talk about story. This season does a fantastic job of picking up where the first entry to Chaos Theory ended, and does take the time to explain some of the gaps in the timeline up until this point. We get a great story which at its crux features two separate branches which allow us to learn more about both the Nublar Six and the wider world which they now inhabit. The story does a particularly great job at once again filling in the world after the events of Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, but it does feel almost bittersweet given the synopsis for the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth. The world which these characters inhabit is not going to last forever, and that did weigh heavily on me as I enjoyed the time, we have with it throughout this season. I don’t want to say much more about the story but just know that when the two branches eventually collide, there is tension and drama – and some shocking decisions which you might not expect.
That leads me nicely onto tone – which is something which is handled masterfully throughout this season. There are moments where we have awe and wonder, moments where we have mystery and intrigue, and also sequences which feel grounded in classic horror. There were a couple of scenes within the show which felt quite dark for a show aimed at younger fans of the franchise and I got a kick out of them. I love how many of the tones and themes in the second season are just as meaningful as the first. We explore the values in different life experiences, in pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones, and in trying to balance the complicated intricacies of friendships with multiple layers. We also get an unexpected but welcome look at the ethics of creation and experimentation with dinosaurs – echoing some of the beats we first saw explored through Henry Wu but in a refreshing and exciting way. I can’t wait to talk about this more in my spoiler review!
The characters are in top form in this second outing, with lots of complicated dynamics between many of our original group, and also interesting developments in their character arcs which help to show how far they have come. Yaz, for example, shows incredible empathy for two characters throughout the season – perfectly building on her own experience of mental health, and how that has helped her to learn to be more empathetic towards others. The acting here was particularly fantastic for our original six – and I have to shout out Kiersten Kelly, who was phenomenal as Brooklynn. It really felt like we had an older and more mature version of Brooklynn from Camp Cretaceous, so she did a phenomenal job picking up the reigns from Jenna Ortega here. Of course, our Nublar Six are not the only characters in Season 2 – there are plenty more who appear of the course of ten episodes! I love how we get some interesting characters who bring unique dynamics to certain scenes throughout this season, and also love the time we get to spend with one character throughout the latter half of the season to really understand their motivations.
Dinosaurs are of course an important factor in any show, and we get plenty of them throughout Season Two – with returning favourites plus a couple of new additions. I think fans will be pleasantly surprised by just how much time we get to spend with the Suchomimus throughout the season, something I really enjoyed given it’s fleeting appearance in Season 1. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of other animals within this season – showing us the dynamic of the normal animals in our environment facing dinosaurs in their habitats. This is something which Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom teased at in its closing credits, but the second season of the show really takes this much further – again helping to solidify the fact that this is now a world where dinosaurs co-exist with nature. Round this out with a unique dinosaur with some very cool characteristics which makes an appearance in the second season and it felt like we had the opportunity to spend time with a strong menagerie throughout the season.
Hand-in-hand with dinosaurs are locations, and we get to travel to a few interesting locations over the course of the show! Those of you who spend a lot of time online may have a good idea of where we spend the bulk of this season, but I was delighted to see some unexpected locales factor into the story – and also welcomed the world building which hinted at some of the stories which may be unfolding in other locations across the globe. Much like with the first season of the show, the second season for Chaos Theory does a fantastic job of painting a much broader picture of how prevalent dinosaurs are in the world, and more importantly, provides vital insight into the characters and players who may be working behind the scenes to support that spread. I also have to admit that whilst we spend a lot of Season Two in a jungle, it’s clear that a lot of time and energy went into making this location feel different to Isla Nublar – with plenty of unique vegetation and structures appearing throughout the show.
As I touch on above, there are some interesting details which do feel like they paint a wider picture of the world which these characters inhabit. Whilst I don’t want to go into this too deeply for fear of giving things away at this juncture, I think it is fair to say that if you are like Brad and I and have been craving more connections across the stories told in the franchise, then you will be very happy with how this season chooses to join some details of it’s story together.
If it isn’t obvious from this review, I really adored the second season of Chaos Theory. I went into this season a little bit cautious given some of what we had heard beforehand, but I was absolutely delighted with the final result. Not only does this season build on the fantastic first outing for the show, but in my opinion, it does some things in an even stronger way. I had a lot of fun with this show and got a real kick out of some of the connections which it sets up for the Jurassic universe, and also felt that this was more of the mature tone so many of us enjoyed in the first season.
What stood out to me the most was the attention to detail in this season. There are lots of small references and payoff moments sprinkled in throughout and nods to other moments throughout the Jurassic franchise which show just how much care is being put in by the creative team behind this show. Its clear Jurassic fans worked hard to bring this season to life – and I couldn’t be happier with the result.
Huge thanks to Dreamworks Animation for providing early access to this season. Check out all of our review content here on The Jurassic Park Podcast, and stay tuned for spoiler coverage after the season has released.
Written by: Tom Jurassic