We got ourselves brand new episodes for Altered Carbon and we’ve got a mix of old and new cast led by Anthony Mackie who plays Takeshi Kovacs in a new “wedge” sleeve. Here’s my Altered Carbon S2E1 review with episode title “Phantom Lady”.
For this Altered Carbon S2E1 review, I have to say that they start out really strong and we get to see some neat upgrades for Tak this season. This season is set 30 years after the Bancroft murder mystery and we find Tak and Poe in another part of the galaxy still looking for Quelcrest Falconer, the rebel leader and Kovac’s love.
Anthony Mackie isn’t as imposing as former sleeve, Elias Ryker played by Joel Kinnaman but he’s got the same air of badassery. Right out the bat I think they were compensating for what’s to come in the season. I am a bit miffed with the idea of him getting trounced quite often in this episode but that was all part of the plot.
I like Simone Missick’s appearance here in Season 2 and she’s once again playing a feisty character much like her Misty Knight in Marvel’s Luke Cage series. She looked badass too but let’s see if there’s anything she can add to the table.
Poe is the one that certainly changed drastically for this season as he’s glitching so bad that it looks like he could cost Tak his life. And you can feel that the showrunners wants to go with this character somewhere. Its slowly fleshing out. I do love the humor he continues to provide although I kinda miss him just being in one place most of the time.
Quellcrist Falconer (Renee Elise Goldsberry) gives fans something to look forward to in her appearance her. Too bad we didn’t have time for exposition but it’s still a mystery moment. I’m very interested to see where she’s going but for this particular episode, she’s the carrot that gets dangled for Tak and the rest of his supporting cast for season 2.
The action set pieces and potential villains for this series are also upgraded in terms of visuals. Unlike in season 1 where there was no real clear cut main antagonist, for AC season 2, there is and it comes in the form of Colonel Ivan Carrera.
The “Phantom Lady” also helps provide additional backstory for the very mysterious past of Tak from after him surviving “The Battle of Stronghold”, which was one of the darker times in the character’s past.
Altered Carbon S2E1 Review – Verdict : 9/10
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