Twisted Metal Season 2 Review: The Chaotic Car Combat Fans Wanted Finally Arrives

After a setup-heavy first season that felt more like a warm-up lap than the main event, Peacock’s Twisted Metal finally slams the gas pedal in Season 2, delivering the over-the-top vehicular mayhem and offbeat characters that made the classic PlayStation games cult favorites. It’s messy, absurd, and unapologetically goofy — and it’s all the better for it.

A Stronger Start With Familiar Faces

Season 2 picks up with the core cast scattered. John Doe (Anthony Mackie) is now in a walled-off city, training hard for the deadly tournament ahead — while moonlighting as a pizza delivery guy named “John Dough.” Meanwhile, his partner Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) has joined a gang called the Dolls, led by none other than John’s long-lost sister, Dollface (Tiana Okoye).

Then there’s Sweet Tooth, still played with perfect physicality by Samoa Joe and voiced by Will Arnett, who gets even weirder as he develops a disturbing buddy dynamic with his new sidekick Stu (Mike Mitchell) — a man quickly discovering he might be a natural-born serial killer.

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Let the Tournament Begin (Eventually)

The big draw this time is the Twisted Metal tournament itself — a battle royale where the winner gets a single wish, courtesy of the enigmatic Calypso (Anthony Carrigan). Of course, in classic Twisted Metal fashion, that wish can be anything, from justice to pure chaos.

The tournament doesn’t fully kick off until halfway through the 12-episode season, but the buildup is packed with heists, side missions, and qualifying rounds. It’s a slower burn than fans might hope, but the journey introduces a slew of outrageous new characters that channel the game’s chaotic energy in ways Season 1 never quite did.

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Standouts include:

• Vermin (Lisa Gilroy), a grotesque exterminator with hygiene issues and a taste for carnage
• Mr. Grimm (Richard de Klerk), a possibly supernatural rider with a terrifying edge
• Axel (Michael James Shaw), a man who may or may not be turning into a literal vehicle — and drinks gasoline for fun

This Time, It Feels Like the Game

Season 1 leaned hard into post-apocalyptic world-building and rapid-fire jokes, but often felt like a generic road trip show that just happened to star a killer clown. Season 2 embraces the absurdity of its source material: killer cars, weirdos with tragic backstories, and Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” blasting during high-octane battles.

While the CGI can get a bit overwhelming, the show uses its visual style to go big — because how else do you sell a guy being crushed by a flame-throwing ice cream truck?

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Final Thoughts

Halfway through the new season, Twisted Metal finally knows what it is — and embraces it. The jokes are better balanced, the character designs are wilder, and the stakes are higher. It’s still ridiculous, but that’s the point.

If Season 1 was just revving the engine, Season 2 peels out with fire and flair, making it clear that this twisted tournament is just getting started.

Rating: ★★★★☆
Verdict: Season 2 finally delivers the wild ride Twisted Metal fans have been waiting for — weird, loud, and gloriously chaotic.