Season 1 was brilliant, well thought out and engaging. *But* it set the bar for season 2 impossibly high.
Here are the main issues I had with season 2:
- Tima Shomali, the producer, didn't disprove the rumors about the release date until many fake release dates circled around the internet in the 2.5 years we waited. She disproved them on 10 August 2023 and didn't even give us a rough timeframe. I get that she wanted to use the hype to her advantage but it has worked against her, as fans were infuriated by this whole situation
- The show wasn't originally planned to have more seasons. The producer had clearly given in to the pressure from fans and/or the appeal of repeating season 1's success. She was out of ideas and it shows. I didn't appreciate that she changed the makeup of the series but recycled major plot points and gave us a similar ending to season 1
- Season 2 killed the rewatch value of season 1, as it doesn't do it justice. As much as I loved season 1, I'm afraid I'll never go back to this show again.
- Maybe we could've enjoyed season 2 as its own story, had our expectations been properly managed by giving us a hint that we won't get a sequel but more of an anthology continuation. They kept hyping the new season up so much for 2.5 years but what we got was underwhelming the least to say and many people are rightfully disappointed and frustrated.
- I'd like to pay special attention to the time they took to make this season. 1 year of writing and 8 months of editing and *this* is the result? People in the producer's team clearly decided to spare her feelings on more than one occasion, judging by the result. Also how on earth does it take 8 months for a team of professional video editors to put together *6* episodes?
The bottom line is that it's hard to repeat the success of something undeniably remarkable and it's even harder to admit that you tried and failed.
I can't in good conscience give the show less than 7/10 and I only take away 3 stars because of season 2.
