MovieChat Forums > War of the Worlds (1988) Discussion > Didn't like the second season

Didn't like the second season

posted 11 years ago by jeffyoung1
5 replies | jump to latest

It's all subjective and while some fans liked the second season, I didnt because it was completely different and negative. I agree with one OP who opined that the series should have started with the second season instead of changing from first to the second so dramatically.

Some viewers criticized the first season because while the aliens did dastardly evil, somehow their efforts were thwarted, often just narrowly, with each episode. While the critics thought it boring and repetitive, I liked that angle.

Jump to the second season beginning and everything is a total shock. Instead of our normal, functioning world and society, everything has seemingly broken down and become decrepit. The show always takes place at night. Civilization is in serious decline. Everyone seems broken down to the point of being beggars or street people. Adrian Paul's character couldn't get any information or any help from anyone without paying money. I noticed that every minor character shown in the second season seems to be demanding money for doing anything. Everyone in society is demoralized, depressed, lethargic, lazy, distrusting and concerned only about self. The second season was totally depressing to watch because it showed the aliens were winning subversively. If they couldn't bring down our world with overt terrorism and destruction then causing our civilization to collapse from within was working.

WAR OF THE WORLDS was typical of television series that garnered a lot of enthusiasm and fans but not quite the fanbase numbers that Hollywood demands to keep it going. The popular series, 'Moonlight' from 2011, the 'V' remake, the 'Sarah Connor Chronicles', Kolchak the Night Stalker, are classic examples of tv shows that the public liked and for the most part the critics, but didn't have the massive viewer numbers to justify continuing those shows. Advertisers won't spend the commercial time money if the viewer audience isn't hight enough in the millions and the television networks can't demand the high commercial time dollars if their tv shows don't cut the high viewer numbers. It's all about the money in the end.

[–] Fletcherj119 11 years ago

The ratings for season one were just short of acceptable to warrant a second season, so the show was taken away from the creators for a reboot. And unfortunately it was handed over to a relative of the head of the parent production office.

[–] amoebaelvis-462-116465 11 years ago

I can accept that the first season had poor ratings and was going to be canceled. And it should have. What they gave us for the second season was awful. I watched it but couldn't follow what was going on. For me it was such a disappointment. It would be the same if the Coen brothers had said that "The Big Lebowski" was the sequel to "Star Man." That is how much of an abrupt continuity change it was for me.

[–] Fletcherj119 11 years ago

I watched it loyally, but it did contradict the first season with the final episode - supposedly Maltzor ordered the invasion in 1953, when their original mission was scientific.
But:
I thought Maltzor took orders from The Eternal.
And why did their world have two different names?
And it was established in season one that the aliens had visited Earth hundreds of years ago AND staged a battle in Grover's Mill in 1938.
And I never understood why the newcomers executed their own people upon their arrival. If they wanted to be as&holes they could've put the Advocacy to death, but they murdered all of the slimy originals.
And what the hell happened to the Omega Squad at the end of season two's premiere? The stars hopped in a vehicle and sped off instead of trying to regroup with Ironhorse's soldiers. And I hope the soldiers weren't all supposed to have been inside the cottage when it exploded. I didnt see any of them in there.

[–] Simplythebest11962 9 years ago

the 2nd season was odd. I liked the first one much better. like you stated the 2nd season just seemed depressing, and strange. I didn't watch most of season 2 due to the reasons you already stated.

[–] Midnight_Blues 9 years ago

To be honest, it's been almost 30 years since I watched it and all I have left is a very foggy memory of something I know I liked a lot back then. I remember the shock of IronHorse dieing at the beginning of season 2 and that was bad enough, he was my favorite character. But I guess I kept watching and liked it well enough, because what I remember next is how the show ended abruptly in my country and was replaced by Beverly Hills 20910 or whatever was the number. I was mad as hell for quite awhile on account of that.