I really loved the first season of "The End of the F##king World", a dark and unusual series that came out of nowhere to be a cult, and then apparently a major hit. Now back for a second season, the laws of diminishing returns are avoided but I'm hopeful that this is the end of the story.
Following the shooting on the beach at the conclusion of Season One, Alyssa (Jessica Barden) has relocated, with her mother, to a remote Forest location and works in her aunts diner. Meanwhile we meet Bonnie (Naomi Ackie) another troubled young person who is about to be released from prison and has a reason for wanting to track Alyssa down.
The aesthetic for this second season is much the same as the first, more like an independent movie, than a series. A dark comedy, with the characters providing voice overs of their feelings, to concur or contrast with the dialogue. Season two isn't quite as funny as the first, though every line uttered by Alyssa is perfectly judged gold, but there's more serious themes at play than there was in the first, revenge and post-traumatic stress, so not being quite as funny, or as quirky, does make sense. The music of the show remains a compelling part of it - though I have to say that the tracks that make up this year's selection aren't to my taste as much as the first seasons were.
Despite loving this second run of the show, I do think that it needs to end here. It's pretty clever how they've tied this back into the first run but it's a delicate balancing act that they've managed to do twice and another attempt to do that, particularly from the point they leave the season would likely be too much.