Season Review: Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Season Two

The holiday season isn’t complete without planning a destination for their Christmas vacation.  Lucky for them, they got a tomb-raiding, globe-trotting guide to make that decision for them.  Netflix’s adaptation of the Tomb Raider franchise may not be among the best game-to-media translations we’ve experienced when it was first released last year.  However, I can admit that there were plenty of merits that made Lara’s latest adventure enjoyable, including Hayley Atwell as the franchise’s protagonist and its serviceable presentation from Powerhouse Animation Studios.  Despite not playing the games myself, I appreciated the intent to match the franchise’s globe-trotting thrills and mythical essence, akin to Indiana Jones.

But, as we can see in the season one finale, Lara’s journey, which began after the “Tomb Raider Survivor” trilogy, is far from over.  With the sudden disappearance of Lara’s closest friend, Sam Nishimura (voiced by Karen Fukuhara), the titular “Tomb Raider” embarks on yet another global quest to rescue her.  By that, I mean the first episode.  Afterwards, Lara and Sam are confronted by Pithos, a scientific organization led by Mila (Tricia Helfer), determined to retrieve the priceless, yet powerful artifacts.  Those include the mythical masks with abilities that transcend what they read in the history books.  However, Pithos’s goal is revealed to be a facade, as Mila seeks to use the masks to “protect” the world.  This puts Lara and Sam in a globe-trotting race against Mila and her partner, Fig (Marisha Ray), to find the masks created by the gods posing as humans.

This revelation occurs within the first episode, likely due to the eight-episode structure, akin to the first season.  After that, season two offers precisely what fans would expect from the source material.  It’s another thrilling global adventure filled with action, fantasy elements, and plenty of Easter eggs and references from the games and movies.  One such reference comes from the season’s third episode, in which Lara punched a shark during her deep-sea excursion, a nod to her similar action in “The Cradle of Life”.  Whether someone’s familiar with the video games, the film adaptations, or both, they’re sure to find these treasures valuable.  It’s struck by the familiar flaws that hindered Lara’s first journey, including its formulaic elements, by-the-numbers antagonist, and pacing. Fortunately, the season also retains the tools needed to ensure its safe travels.

One such aspect is the characters’ chemistry, which offered a hint of levity amid its high-stakes adventure.  Season two has Lara teaming up with Sam, who’s been given more screen time compared to her in season one, giving Karen Fukuhara more opportunities to shine in her vocal performance.  Along with some amusing banter, Lara and Sam’s cooperation briefly highlights the growth Lara has experienced back in season one, particularly her reliance on her allies.  Though with its eight-episode structure, the series is more intent on delivering a globe-trotting spectacle than on a character-driven reflection on the consequences of playing god, as emphasized by Mila’s intent to “heal” the planet.  Mila’s pretty much akin to Thanos regarding their desires to change the world by collecting the powerful artifacts, but her arc was less interesting than the purple-skinned titan’s due to her formulaic presence.  

Additionally, the season introduces Lara’s unexpected new ally, Eshu, voiced by O-T Fagbenle, notably known as Rick Mason from “Black Widow”.  Eshu is described as a mischievous yet guilt-ridden “Bringer of Death” who’s haunted by the regret of abandoning his people years ago, including his siblings.  While Lara’s growth doesn’t shine as much as her development in season one, Eshu’s arc provides a respectable amount of substance to underscore his characteristics beyond his cunning and arrogant aspects.  Additionally, O-T Fagbenle did a commendable job of delivering a decent blend of humor and heart to this seemingly “irritating“ supporting character.  As for the animation, Powerhouse Animation continues to shine in its thrilling action scenes and vibrant locations, particularly in the fifth episode, which features the team’s infiltration of Mila’s gala.

The second season of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft may not be as adventurous in its bold storytelling, but when it comes to its globe-trotting aesthetics and entertainment values, it’s another tomb that specific fans wouldn’t mind raiding.  It’s a shame that it became another victim of Netflix’s two-season-and-cancel approach to its animation catalog, especially when its finale teases a new threat that we won’t see Lara confront.  I don’t mind some of Netflix’s content, but sometimes it just irks me when they cancel a show with a cliffhanger instead of giving it the proper ending it deserves.  However, given the quality of the show’s second season, it’s probably for the best that they ended this tomb raiding journey there, at least until we get another adaptation that revives the popular game franchise.