"A Thousand Blows" Season Two Lacks Direction, But Erin Doherty's Star Power Can't Save It
The sophomore season of Steven Knight's late-Victorian thriller "A Thousand Blows" makes a valiant effort to rectify the narrative missteps of its inaugural outing. However, despite a talented ensemble cast, including Erin Doherty as the magnetic Mary Carr, the series suffers from a lack of focus and direction.
The first season's success can be largely attributed to Doherty's impressive turn as the wily pickpocketing queen, who somehow managed to sell her character with such conviction that it became difficult to discern what was genuinely part of the show's premise. The second season seeks to distance itself from this phenomenon by toning down Doherty's presence and letting the story unfold at a more measured pace.
Unfortunately, the action takes on a decidedly depressing tone, which, while not necessarily bad in and of itself, detracts from the overall impact of the series. The narrative is weighed down by its own self-importance, as if it's trying to say something profound about colonialism, racism, and tradition without ever quite managing to.
The plot twists and turns in an attempt to keep pace with the increasingly complex web of characters, but ultimately, much of it feels like a jumbled mess. Hezekiah Moscow's (Stephen Graham) journey from an outcast to a boxing sensation is hindered by his own demons, while Sugar Goodson's (James Nelson-Joyce) descent into despair is both heartbreaking and frustratingly unclear.
Erin Doherty's performance remains a highlight of the series, bringing a depth and nuance to Mary Carr that elevates even the most lackluster moments. Her character's troubled past and psychological turmoil are skillfully woven throughout the narrative, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.
Ultimately, "A Thousand Blows" Season Two feels like a misfire, a show that knows it's better than what we're seeing but can't quite find its footing. Despite Doherty's star power, the series struggles to cohere into something greater than the sum of its parts.
The sophomore season of Steven Knight's late-Victorian thriller "A Thousand Blows" makes a valiant effort to rectify the narrative missteps of its inaugural outing. However, despite a talented ensemble cast, including Erin Doherty as the magnetic Mary Carr, the series suffers from a lack of focus and direction.
The first season's success can be largely attributed to Doherty's impressive turn as the wily pickpocketing queen, who somehow managed to sell her character with such conviction that it became difficult to discern what was genuinely part of the show's premise. The second season seeks to distance itself from this phenomenon by toning down Doherty's presence and letting the story unfold at a more measured pace.
Unfortunately, the action takes on a decidedly depressing tone, which, while not necessarily bad in and of itself, detracts from the overall impact of the series. The narrative is weighed down by its own self-importance, as if it's trying to say something profound about colonialism, racism, and tradition without ever quite managing to.
The plot twists and turns in an attempt to keep pace with the increasingly complex web of characters, but ultimately, much of it feels like a jumbled mess. Hezekiah Moscow's (Stephen Graham) journey from an outcast to a boxing sensation is hindered by his own demons, while Sugar Goodson's (James Nelson-Joyce) descent into despair is both heartbreaking and frustratingly unclear.
Erin Doherty's performance remains a highlight of the series, bringing a depth and nuance to Mary Carr that elevates even the most lackluster moments. Her character's troubled past and psychological turmoil are skillfully woven throughout the narrative, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.
Ultimately, "A Thousand Blows" Season Two feels like a misfire, a show that knows it's better than what we're seeing but can't quite find its footing. Despite Doherty's star power, the series struggles to cohere into something greater than the sum of its parts.
. Unfortunately, it feels like they're trying too hard to flesh out the narrative and character arcs, which ends up making it all feel pretty meh 
. I mean, don't get me wrong, Doherty is still amazing as Mary Carr - she really brings this complex, troubled character to life 
. But the rest of the show just can't seem to follow suit. The pacing feels slow and plodding at times, and the themes of colonialism and racism are interesting but not necessarily handled in a way that's super impactful or thought-provoking 
. All in all, I think it's a shame, because with some tighter writing and editing, this show could've really taken off 
️!
. But, man, season 2 is just meh... I know they were trying to fix the narrative issues from the first season, but it feels like they took all the best parts and threw 'em into a blender 
. The tone's all over the place - one minute you're invested in Hezekiah's boxing journey, next minute you're stuck in this depressing spiral with Sugar 
. I love Erin's character development, she brings so much depth to Mary Carr, but it's like the rest of the show is just kinda...meh 
she's literally the reason i kept watching lol but season 2 just feels like it's trying too hard, you know? like they're trying to make a statement about colonialism etc but it comes across as super heavy-handed and pretentious. and can we talk about how much i ship hez and mary tho 
stephen graham and erin doherty together are just meant to be 
but anyway, yeah season 2 is meh in my opinion
i mean, i get what steven knight was trying to do with the colonialism and racism stuff, but it just feels like a bunch of heavy-handed themes slapped together without any real impact 
and don't even get me started on the plot twists - they're all over the place like someone threw a handful of spaghetti at the wall and hoped some of it stuck 
season 2 is def not better, i think they r tryna be deep w/ the colonialism thing but its just forced and annoying 
and dont even get me started on the plot twists, like what even happened to hezekiah?? 
The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that "A Thousand Blows" is one of those shows where everyone knows the writer just isn't feeling it anymore. 
Don't get me wrong, Erin Doherty is still my girl and Mary Carr is an amazing character, but even she can only take so much of this mess before I'm like "girl, bye". 
. But overall, it feels like the writers just lost their way after season one... 
her character's struggles and backstory are so intense and emotional, it's a shame the rest of the show can't match that level of depth.
. The depressing tone kinda dragged on and made me lose interest. And I'm still not sure what the point of all those plot twists is 
. The show's still got some great moments - that fight scene between Hezekiah and Sugar was intense! 
. Not bad, but not what they were hoping for either. And on IMDB... 
️ Season One got 7.5/10, while Season Two is struggling to break 6/10. 
](https://giphy.com/gifs/lol-whoops-7nZ8a6o1QW0) [
] [Erin Doherty's Mary Carr is still the real MVP, but even she can't save this mess 
](https://giphy.com/gifs/mvp-9eX2wX6o1Q0) [
The plot twists and turns like a crazy train, just when you think it's gonna crash 
](https://giphy.com/gifs/trainwreck-7nZ8a6o1QW0) [
](https://giphy.com/gifs/lost-direction-9eX2wX6o1Q0)
Even with all the plot holes and whatnot, she still manages to bring that Mary Carr character to life in a way that's just captivating 
. And don't even get me started on the depressing tone... I mean, I'm no expert but even I know that a show should be able to balance light and dark without making the whole thing feel like a slog 
. Still, Doherty's performance is top-notch, she brings so much depth to Mary Carr 
. Oh well, I guess it's back to waiting for season 3... 