![]() A mix of harsh truths and satirical surface, it’s like watching the demonic lovechild of Alan Moore and Chris Morris. Wilson’s increasingly garish appearance offsets Adeel Akhtar’s mild-mannered voice, the epitome of Utopia’s paradoxical tone, which perches on a knife edge between stereotypical British politeness and unflinching brutality. Once a victim of their torture, he now covers his missing eye with a rusty patch, swapping his shabby clothes for a brightly coloured shirt and suit. After his betrayal in Season 1, Wilson’s path is smartly juxtaposed with Arby’s redemption, as the hacker sinks deeper into The Network’s web. Nowhere is the relationship between style and substance better shown than by Wilson Wilson. All of it contrasts with the crimson bursts of blood that repeatedly splatter the frames. Ole Bratt Birkeland’s cinematography continues to be a central part of the series’ unique themes, singling out villains with almost cartoon-like colours, from the banana suit worn by Paul Ready’s softly-spoken (scene-stealing) psychopath to the neon bars of the prison used to hold Jessica captive. That unsubtle symbolism is the perfect fit for Utopia’s comic book-tinged world. He even grows an angst beard to show his inner turmoil. Neil Maskell’s creepy killer (and Carvel’s son) finds himself swapping guns for stuffed toys as he shuffles through everyday life, his blank face now showing endearing signs of expression. The most interesting character, though, is reformed assassin Arby. That emotional engagement applies to all of the cast, from Nathan Stewart-Jarrett’s earnest Ian, yearning after Alexandra Roach’s foul-mouthed Welshy, to Fiona O’Shaughnessy’s eerily detached Jessica Hyde (Carvel’s daughter and a carrier of the Janus virus). If before, Janus seemed scarily logical, now it feels sympathetically justified, as Dennis Kelly’s devilishly ambiguous script pulls the rug out from under your heartstrings. For the first time, Geraldine James’ ruthless spook has a hint of compassion, one that adds even more complexity to The Network’s conspiracy. But it also sows the seeds for the six-episode sequel, giving us an insight into Carvel and Milner’s relationship – and, crucially, an emotional stake in their whole plot.Ĭarvel becomes an increasingly big part of the series, not only in terms of the Janus virus – which Ian, Becky and Grant are still trying to stop – but also his lasting effect upon Milner. The prologue, which casts Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie as a young Milner and Tom Burke as a young Carvel, is a bold, indulgent opening, one that recaps the first season for newcomers and immediately reminds old viewers how violent Utopia can be. ![]() Rabbit and eager scientist Philip Carvel spend their evenings secretly discussing the moral dilemma at hand. The season begins with a flashback to the 1970s, when Network chief Mr. Gone is the theory and its threatening potential here it is in bloody, chaotic practice. Season 2 does something even more disturbing: it lets the conspiracy play out. Season 1 of Dennis Kelly’s show unsettled by uncovering The Network’s conspiracy and revealing it to be ultimately unstoppable. ![]() The plan? Create a global pandemic and sneak Janus into the antidote. Which is why The Network engineered a virus, Janus, to sterilise 90% of the population and ensure the survival of the rest. As of this month, we’ve already used up the planet’s resources for this year. ![]() It’s nothing new to those who saw the first season, a shockingly original conspiracy thriller that essentially outlined why mankind is screwed – because there’s too ruddy much of it. Humans are selfish, a trait that assures their own destruction. Whenever someone or something appears to be happy, the situation will immediately turn bad, and 2. His cruel lecture delivers the two central truths of Utopia: 1. “If you really wanted to save the environment, you wouldn’t have had that child,” grins a sinister fellow at a coach station to an unsuspecting mother. Not caught up? See our spoiler-free review here. This contains spoilers for Season 1 of Utopia and mild spoilers for Season 2.
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