The central quartet head in different directions.

The big question of the day? Is the UK heading for a post pandemic financial crisis? Will England ever play a decent match at Euro 2020 (perhaps by the time you read this they will have done. Or not.)? Or, most important of all, is Season Two of Black Summer living up to the expectations set by the blistering season opener?

Another four episodes in and just past the half way mark, this reviewer’s answer to that last key question would be ‘pretty much’, ‘maybe’, ‘not so sure’, and ‘definitely’.

Episode 2 – Prelude – starts to piece together the back story underpinning the mayhem of Episode 1. We are introduced to Ray Nazeri who will play a big part in the series, and get a fragmented account of how our central quartet – Rose, her daughter Anna, Spears and Sun – find themselves going in different directions. It’s efficiently and economically told in solid Black Summer style, requiring the viewer’s full attention and it keeps things ticking over very nicely.

As the title, Card Game, suggests, Episode 3 offers a change of pace – taking its time as Rose and Anna find refuge in ‘The Manor’ where a dysfunctional family hold sway. Some of the post-apocalyptic ‘wide-eyed psycho red-neck’ characterisations felt a little tired to me and whilst I respect the show for slamming on the brakes for an episode, this one does outstay its welcome by at least five minutes. On the plus side, having our central characters barely saying a word as they slowly, carefully play their titular card game, while the crazy family play mind games with each other, is a bold narrative move and mostly works pretty well.

In Episode 4 – Cold War – we are back to full-on zombie mayhem. Much as I love Black Summer’s stripped back storytelling and minimalistic characterisations, I have to admit I lost track here. There are all sorts of factions fighting over occupancy of The Manor but who was who, and why, and wherefore was completely lost on me. Having said that it was a brisk 34 minutes and I’m happy to find myself immersed in terrifying chaos wondering whether I would last more than five minutes in a Zombie Apocalypse (Spoiler Alert: I wouldn’t).

I loved Episode 5 – White Horse. Here the show pushes its own envelope as it picks up with Spears, who meets a mysterious stranger claiming to know him from the old days. The episode unfolds like a single play, almost a self-contained film about friendship, revenge and the possibility of change. It’s thoughtful, the dialogue beautifully, economically and obliquely written, while cinematically the episode drops much of the show’s hand held verité style for something more abstract and poetic. But it’s not all thoughtful chat… there’s a shocking, full-on payoff to remind you of the fractured world where people are still trying to behave like decent human beings.

Verdict: Yes, there are some difficult second album inconsistencies in the new season, but I still love the show for its intelligence and inventiveness. 8/10  

Martin Jameson