The Dragon Prince: Season 2
February 18, 2019 3:52 PM - Season 2 (Full Season) - Subscribe
Callum, Ezran, Rayla, Bait, and Zym continue their journey to Xadia, while being pursued by Claudia and Soren. Meanwhile Viren tries to make the case for war with the other Human kingdoms, and later meets a new boyfriend ally.
So pretty much everything that was awesome about the Season 1 gets fleshed out and made even more awesome for Season 2! And the animation is much improved, too.
So pretty much everything that was awesome about the Season 1 gets fleshed out and made even more awesome for Season 2! And the animation is much improved, too.
and later meets a new boyfriend
The fanfiction about these two is going to be absolutely off the chain. I'll add more when I finish the season, probably tonight.
posted by snerson at 4:49 PM on February 18, 2019
The fanfiction about these two is going to be absolutely off the chain. I'll add more when I finish the season, probably tonight.
posted by snerson at 4:49 PM on February 18, 2019
I'm about a third of the way though and so far it's a great improvement over the first season.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:04 PM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:04 PM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
God humans are utterly the worst in this show.
“Oh, we’re hungry, let’s invade a neighbouring nation and straight out murder some random giant”
“Oh, a couple of people got killed during our murdervasion! We must have REVENGE!”
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:11 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
“Oh, we’re hungry, let’s invade a neighbouring nation and straight out murder some random giant”
“Oh, a couple of people got killed during our murdervasion! We must have REVENGE!”
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:11 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
I'm about a third of the way though and so far it's a great improvement over the first season.
I recall Fanfare being pretty lukewarm on season one, so this is exactly the comment I was looking out for. I guess I'll have to get started on this once I finish with Death Note!
posted by tobascodagama at 7:47 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
I recall Fanfare being pretty lukewarm on season one, so this is exactly the comment I was looking out for. I guess I'll have to get started on this once I finish with Death Note!
posted by tobascodagama at 7:47 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
“Oh, a couple of people got killed during our murdervasion! We must have REVENGE!”
I had that exact thought. I think the story would have been more powerful if they had sent some kind of appeal to Xadia for assistance and were turned down, then they had to go in and murder the lava titan as plan b. It would have been a stronger basis for the hatred we see the adults evince in present-day. Because with the current story, I don't really buy Harrow getting revengy when he's so chill about literally everything else. And he's fine with leaving his kids to lead? He's about as dilfy as they come, but really? A lot of characters in TDP are seriously short-sighted. Soren's whole "I'm gonna provoke the dragon right above the town"? Corvus and Rayla saying that they're fine with Ezran being by himself but then not tailing him? Viren making a potion with Aaravos' recipe and then just chugging it? dude. I buy it when Claudia does something shortsighted* because it's true to her character, but the rest of these guys, absolutely not. I hope they get some stronger writers with a better eye towards character logistics for next season.
If I'm being honest, the screenwriters need to take a look at Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small quartet. God, those books have spoiled me for logistics in books forever after. (guys! guys!!! who is your commanding officer and what were they on when they came up with the idea to attack a rock monster with swords instead of, idk, pre-prepared frost bombs!! why didn't they segment the attack such that as soon as the heart was captured, they send the horses off top-speed towards the border, with other units trailing behind? Why the hell were the royals in the vanguard? WHY WAS VIREN IN THE VANGUARD WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BOOKING IT FOR THE BORDER WITH THE HEART??)
It makes me sound like an asshole but I wish they hadn't healed Soren's paralysis. We've had plenty of disabled representation on the screen, but this would have been our first look at a character who becomes disabled in the course of the series (instead of arriving onscreen with their disability). But I guess we'll see next season, since I doubt Claudia fixed the paralysis completely.
I don't know ASL but I know a dirty joke when I see one, Amaya!
posted by snerson at 1:41 PM on February 19, 2019 [6 favorites]
I had that exact thought. I think the story would have been more powerful if they had sent some kind of appeal to Xadia for assistance and were turned down, then they had to go in and murder the lava titan as plan b. It would have been a stronger basis for the hatred we see the adults evince in present-day. Because with the current story, I don't really buy Harrow getting revengy when he's so chill about literally everything else. And he's fine with leaving his kids to lead? He's about as dilfy as they come, but really? A lot of characters in TDP are seriously short-sighted. Soren's whole "I'm gonna provoke the dragon right above the town"? Corvus and Rayla saying that they're fine with Ezran being by himself but then not tailing him? Viren making a potion with Aaravos' recipe and then just chugging it? dude. I buy it when Claudia does something shortsighted* because it's true to her character, but the rest of these guys, absolutely not. I hope they get some stronger writers with a better eye towards character logistics for next season.
If I'm being honest, the screenwriters need to take a look at Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small quartet. God, those books have spoiled me for logistics in books forever after. (guys! guys!!! who is your commanding officer and what were they on when they came up with the idea to attack a rock monster with swords instead of, idk, pre-prepared frost bombs!! why didn't they segment the attack such that as soon as the heart was captured, they send the horses off top-speed towards the border, with other units trailing behind? Why the hell were the royals in the vanguard? WHY WAS VIREN IN THE VANGUARD WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BOOKING IT FOR THE BORDER WITH THE HEART??)
It makes me sound like an asshole but I wish they hadn't healed Soren's paralysis. We've had plenty of disabled representation on the screen, but this would have been our first look at a character who becomes disabled in the course of the series (instead of arriving onscreen with their disability). But I guess we'll see next season, since I doubt Claudia fixed the paralysis completely.
I don't know ASL but I know a dirty joke when I see one, Amaya!
posted by snerson at 1:41 PM on February 19, 2019 [6 favorites]
One theory I have is that Sarai (Callum and Ezra’s Mum) was killed by Viren (or at least he dealt the finishing blow) and not Thunder. They established pretty clearly that Sarai was the biggest impediment to Viren’s ambitions, and they showed that Queens Annika and Neha were killed by Thunder, but they didn’t show Sarai’s death at all (or even how Viren managed to get out of Xadia).
posted by 1970s Antihero at 4:41 PM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 4:41 PM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
It makes me sound like an asshole but I wish they hadn't healed Soren's paralysis. We've had plenty of disabled representation on the screen, but this would have been our first look at a character who becomes disabled in the course of the series (instead of arriving onscreen with their disability). But I guess we'll see next season, since I doubt Claudia fixed the paralysis completely.
My quibble was with how Claudia did it. If it lets you sacrifice a deer to cure someone's full body paralysis, it shouldn't be called "Dark Magic" but rather "Entirely Reasonable and Helpful Magic". Deer are the worst.
posted by Balna Watya at 4:47 PM on February 19, 2019 [9 favorites]
My quibble was with how Claudia did it. If it lets you sacrifice a deer to cure someone's full body paralysis, it shouldn't be called "Dark Magic" but rather "Entirely Reasonable and Helpful Magic". Deer are the worst.
posted by Balna Watya at 4:47 PM on February 19, 2019 [9 favorites]
Less frivolous thoughts:
Why does King Harrow appear in chains in Callum's vision?
The bird escaping during the fight with the guards seems ... significant. (And could it perhaps be related to my first question?)
If you watch the end credits of the last episode, you find out what happens to happy-go-lucky chained-up prisoner guy.
If humans "can't do magic", why is Ezran's connection to animals not freaking more people out when they find out about it? Isn't that magic? Are people just not putting that together? And what IS his connection with animals, anyway? Where does it come from?
Yer a wizard, Callum!
That's a nice slow burn going on with Callum/Rayla there.
I doubt the repercussions of Claudia healing Soren are completely over with.
> "I don't know ASL but I know a dirty joke when I see one, Amaya!"
Heh. Totally.
posted by kyrademon at 2:15 PM on February 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
Why does King Harrow appear in chains in Callum's vision?
The bird escaping during the fight with the guards seems ... significant. (And could it perhaps be related to my first question?)
If you watch the end credits of the last episode, you find out what happens to happy-go-lucky chained-up prisoner guy.
If humans "can't do magic", why is Ezran's connection to animals not freaking more people out when they find out about it? Isn't that magic? Are people just not putting that together? And what IS his connection with animals, anyway? Where does it come from?
Yer a wizard, Callum!
That's a nice slow burn going on with Callum/Rayla there.
I doubt the repercussions of Claudia healing Soren are completely over with.
> "I don't know ASL but I know a dirty joke when I see one, Amaya!"
Heh. Totally.
posted by kyrademon at 2:15 PM on February 20, 2019 [3 favorites]
Oh Viren totally did the soul swap thing and Harrow's in that bird, I just know it! And Ezran can talk to animals...
posted by lovecrafty at 10:12 PM on February 20, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by lovecrafty at 10:12 PM on February 20, 2019 [7 favorites]
> "Why the hell were the royals in the vanguard?"
This only seems nonsensical because you don't live in a fantasy environment. You can't send low-level characters out against something like that; they wouldn't have been able to do enough damage to penetrate its DR. Remember that an Elder Magma Elemental is CR 11 and has +22 Slam attacks with Power Attack AND Vital Strike. Even as it was, the only high-level team they were able to assemble had just one arcane caster and a mixed assortment of fighters and rangers -- although I think it's possible that Amaya is a paladin -- and they were doing pretty badly until they scored that crit. Anyone else they sent would just have gotten TPK'd.
The rest of your objections are perfectly valid, though. Poor strategic choices. They were probably relatively new players with pregenned characters at that point; the scene was set in the past, after all.
posted by kyrademon at 12:20 AM on February 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
This only seems nonsensical because you don't live in a fantasy environment. You can't send low-level characters out against something like that; they wouldn't have been able to do enough damage to penetrate its DR. Remember that an Elder Magma Elemental is CR 11 and has +22 Slam attacks with Power Attack AND Vital Strike. Even as it was, the only high-level team they were able to assemble had just one arcane caster and a mixed assortment of fighters and rangers -- although I think it's possible that Amaya is a paladin -- and they were doing pretty badly until they scored that crit. Anyone else they sent would just have gotten TPK'd.
The rest of your objections are perfectly valid, though. Poor strategic choices. They were probably relatively new players with pregenned characters at that point; the scene was set in the past, after all.
posted by kyrademon at 12:20 AM on February 21, 2019 [7 favorites]
They had some fun with the pop culture references in this one: "don't you forget about me, don't don't don't don't" and "one does not simply walk into Xadia" are two I noticed.
posted by traveler_ at 6:01 PM on February 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by traveler_ at 6:01 PM on February 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
There was this pop-culture reference as well.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 3:14 AM on February 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 3:14 AM on February 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
I liked this post credits pop culture reference a lot too
posted by JDHarper at 4:52 AM on February 24, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by JDHarper at 4:52 AM on February 24, 2019 [3 favorites]
I'm down with that. Being a royal actually means something in this universe. Whether the power is inherited or whatever, they are more powerful than yer regular human. We know that the Dragon Prince is very powerful. Well, so is the Human Prince. Maybe not as powerful as a Dragon, but this is a brutal world, and the most powerful rule. Viren is a perfect example. He would dominate the world given the chance, and his power grows every day. His bloodline, dedicated to Dark Magic, could rule for a very long time (assuming he never achieves immortality).
posted by Brocktoon at 11:33 PM on February 26, 2019
posted by Brocktoon at 11:33 PM on February 26, 2019
And what bugs me about the strategic choices is that none of the Pentiarch even bother to ask what the post-war plan is. OK, reclaim our lost lands, but what else? Subjugate Xadia? Isn't that worse than what the Elves did to us? And four royals have been lost in a super short period; two are missing. We can't feed a large portion of our population. Should we start an offensive? Without the support of our #1 general? I am diving way too deep into this. It's a kid's show, Mr. Belvedere!
posted by Brocktoon at 7:01 PM on February 27, 2019
posted by Brocktoon at 7:01 PM on February 27, 2019
Just finished the whole thing in one sitting last night.
I liked the improvements over season 1, but the season focused on more plot than characters, and it feels like there wasn't enough plot. I didn't realize when the season ended, it felt like a midseason finale. In some episodes it felt like the plot was business-as-usual just to get to character beats, but then those are turned into comedy bits instead of actual character growth. Not that it's so terrible for a kids show, I actually liked the comedy a lot, I laughed out loud multiple times, especially when I noticed the pop culture references like the ones pointed out above (I think the Sailor Moon callout was my favorite, 'cause Rayla is like opposite of them).
I'm really looking forward to season 3 now though. This was the sophomore season that cemented the plot further and we're getting teases of awesome stuff to come, like Callum learning more magic and Aaravos and more world building with the rest of Xadia.
but they didn’t show Sarai’s death at all (or even how Viren managed to get out of Xadia)
They showed that Sarai died after being thrown off the horse when the Dragon King, Thunder, blasted her and Viren as they were escaping. Then presumably Viren got away after. But this is Viren's retelling, and he's definitely an unreliable narrator.
I don't know ASL but I know a dirty joke when I see one, Amaya!
It's actually pretty clean. Since this is still a kids show and there are deaf kids, it's pretty PG. She's just telling Sarai: "Hahahaha he's signing!"
Here's all the sign language translations for the show so far. (I tried using Netflix's descriptive audio for the blind, but that only worked once for season 1 for getting what Amaya was signing, and not at all for any of season 2)
posted by numaner at 1:15 PM on March 1, 2019 [3 favorites]
I liked the improvements over season 1, but the season focused on more plot than characters, and it feels like there wasn't enough plot. I didn't realize when the season ended, it felt like a midseason finale. In some episodes it felt like the plot was business-as-usual just to get to character beats, but then those are turned into comedy bits instead of actual character growth. Not that it's so terrible for a kids show, I actually liked the comedy a lot, I laughed out loud multiple times, especially when I noticed the pop culture references like the ones pointed out above (I think the Sailor Moon callout was my favorite, 'cause Rayla is like opposite of them).
I'm really looking forward to season 3 now though. This was the sophomore season that cemented the plot further and we're getting teases of awesome stuff to come, like Callum learning more magic and Aaravos and more world building with the rest of Xadia.
but they didn’t show Sarai’s death at all (or even how Viren managed to get out of Xadia)
They showed that Sarai died after being thrown off the horse when the Dragon King, Thunder, blasted her and Viren as they were escaping. Then presumably Viren got away after. But this is Viren's retelling, and he's definitely an unreliable narrator.
I don't know ASL but I know a dirty joke when I see one, Amaya!
It's actually pretty clean. Since this is still a kids show and there are deaf kids, it's pretty PG. She's just telling Sarai: "Hahahaha he's signing!"
Here's all the sign language translations for the show so far. (I tried using Netflix's descriptive audio for the blind, but that only worked once for season 1 for getting what Amaya was signing, and not at all for any of season 2)
posted by numaner at 1:15 PM on March 1, 2019 [3 favorites]
Part one of an interview with Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond, where they get into some of the rules for magic in this world.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 10:00 AM on March 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 10:00 AM on March 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
I wanted to take a moment and highlight Soren's uh ... haiku:
Dragon smash boy.
Say the good words now.
They light the hearts of other people.
While the 4/5/9 syllable count isn't really haiku structure (and thematically, it's lacking the traditional seasonal reference), I appreciate what he's going for here.
Also from the 8th episode, if you wanted to read Aaravos' history, here are screenshots and translations from Arabic and Danish into English, on the Dragonprince Fandom website.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:53 AM on March 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
Dragon smash boy.
Say the good words now.
They light the hearts of other people.
While the 4/5/9 syllable count isn't really haiku structure (and thematically, it's lacking the traditional seasonal reference), I appreciate what he's going for here.
Also from the 8th episode, if you wanted to read Aaravos' history, here are screenshots and translations from Arabic and Danish into English, on the Dragonprince Fandom website.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:53 AM on March 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
Why does King Harrow appear in chains in Callum's vision?
I recall in his letter to Callum he spoke to the effect of how he allowed himself to be chained to fate, but that fate is a lie and Callum and Ezran are free. Or maybe it's because his soul is trapped in a bird. Who knows?
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:01 PM on March 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
I recall in his letter to Callum he spoke to the effect of how he allowed himself to be chained to fate, but that fate is a lie and Callum and Ezran are free. Or maybe it's because his soul is trapped in a bird. Who knows?
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:01 PM on March 11, 2019 [1 favorite]
Part Two of the interview with Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond, where they talk about how they improved the animation this season. They're doing more animation on the twos, just like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. They also talk a little about the end-credits illustrations.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:15 AM on March 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:15 AM on March 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Ohhh I just finished this season with my girls last night. We liked the first season, but we loved this one, it's steadily improving. I especially liked how Claudia and Soren are "bad guys" per se, made my kids think a lot.
I'm enjoying this show a whole bunch, I hope it's rating well for Netflix.
posted by smoke at 3:11 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm enjoying this show a whole bunch, I hope it's rating well for Netflix.
posted by smoke at 3:11 AM on March 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
FWIW, I follow Danika Harrod, who I first found via Austin Walker's Waypoint. She was Waypoint's social manager and man did she hit it out of the park. Incredible stuff. Then she left and did social for The Dragon Prince, which was also hilariously good. Then she left.
She's working for Webtoon now, but she's hinted that her time at The Dragon Prince was pretty unpleasant and that she left for reasons sealed behind an NDA. Finding out that she had a bad time, seemingly at the hands of other members of the show's crew, has made me a bit less keen on the show going forward.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:03 PM on November 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
She's working for Webtoon now, but she's hinted that her time at The Dragon Prince was pretty unpleasant and that she left for reasons sealed behind an NDA. Finding out that she had a bad time, seemingly at the hands of other members of the show's crew, has made me a bit less keen on the show going forward.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 6:03 PM on November 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
More from Danika Harrod. Gaslighting and emotional abuse.
posted by JDHarper at 3:01 PM on November 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by JDHarper at 3:01 PM on November 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
Crap.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 5:01 PM on November 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 5:01 PM on November 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
That being said, in that thread Danika and Lulu (another woman who left the team for the same reasons) discuss how they don't want people to boycott the show.
Hopefully a public callout will get Aaron Ehasz and the people who enable this behavior to change.
posted by JDHarper at 6:10 PM on November 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Hopefully a public callout will get Aaron Ehasz and the people who enable this behavior to change.
posted by JDHarper at 6:10 PM on November 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
“Oh, we’re hungry, let’s invade a neighbouring nation and straight out murder some random giant”
To be fair, it was a specific giant.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:04 PM on November 9, 2019
To be fair, it was a specific giant.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:04 PM on November 9, 2019
Dammit, I just finished Season 2 to discover the show runner is an asshole? Yay.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:08 PM on November 9, 2019
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:08 PM on November 9, 2019
Ugh, also not delighted to hear that the showrunner is terrible.
I know the story is kept relatively simple for kids, but the adults' repeated failures to think ahead are getting weird.
I am enjoying the 'Viren discovers the internet' storyline. It is clear he has not read much classic sci-fi - he understood the question "how may I serve you" very differently than I did.
posted by mersen at 10:40 AM on September 27, 2020
I know the story is kept relatively simple for kids, but the adults' repeated failures to think ahead are getting weird.
I am enjoying the 'Viren discovers the internet' storyline. It is clear he has not read much classic sci-fi - he understood the question "how may I serve you" very differently than I did.
posted by mersen at 10:40 AM on September 27, 2020
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I'll be back here again when further comments won't be spoilers for me. :)
posted by kyrademon at 4:28 PM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]