Peacock Officially Has a Must-Watch Sci-Fi Franchise After This Show’s 92% Rotten Tomatoes Season

Peacock is slowly but surely entering the realm of science fiction with its next wave of original programming. Its short-lived spy thriller, The Copenhagen Test, took espionage to a terrifying new level by revealing that Simu Liu‘s protagonist has been injected with technology that allows others to see and hear everything he does. The Minature Wife explores the ups and downs of a marriage, especially when Elizabeth Banks‘ titular wife has been reduced to microscopic size. The upcoming Dungeon Crawler Carl series will bring Matt Dinniman‘s best-selling novels to life, courtesy of Seth MacFarlane (who gave Peacock one of its biggest hits with Ted). The biggest sci-fi franchise on Peacock is only getting bigger and better, thanks to its second season.

That series is none other than Twisted Metal, which premiered on the streamer in 2023. Based on the iconic PlayStation video games, Twisted Metal follows John Doe (Anthony Mackie), a courier struggling to survive after the “Fall” — a mysterious event that destroyed civilization in 2002. John’s life is eventually turned upside down when he encounters the mysterious Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz), and the two embark on a journey across the lawless landscape of the “Divided States of America”. Twisted Metal saw a major leap in its critical reception during its sophmore season, as Season 2 boasts a whopping 92% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Season 1’s 67%. What led to this incredible turnaround?

Image via Peacock

Twisted Metal Season 2 is dedicated to the iconic Twisted Metal competition, where racers engage in battles to the death using the weapons within their vehicles. The winner of the competition will have their greatest wish granted by host Calypso (Anthony Carrigan), though that wish usually comes true in a darkly ironic way. By finally getting into the Twisted Metal tournament, Twisted Metal Season 2 finally delivers the spectacle that fans of the game were waiting for. While Season 1 had some novelty in its post-apocalyptic road trip, it also had to contend with other post-apocalyptic video game adaptations, including The Last of Us and Fallout. Introducing the tournament in Season 2 helps Twisted Metal stand out.

Another element that Twisted Metal Season 2 brings from the video games is an expanded roster of characters. While Season 1 featured some familiar faces, particularly the psychotic clown Sweet Tooth (Samoa Joe/Will Arnett), Season 2 takes things up a notch by introducing Calypso and the masked Dollface (Tiana Okoye). It’s Dollface who provides a surprisingly emotional story, as she turns out to be John Doe’s long lost sister; however, due to his ongoing amnesia, he doesn’t recognize her. Twisted Metal has a gift for bouncing between the darkly hilarious and the surprisingly emotional, and Season 2 proves that it hasn’t lost its touch.

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‘Twisted Metal’ Remains One of Peacock’s Biggest Hits

While its critical reception might have increased, Twisted Metal still remains one of the biggest series in Peacock’s history. Season 1 was one of the streamer’s most binged originals, and Peacock went all out to promote both seasons at San Diego Comic-Con by having a fleet of ice cream trucks in 2023 and a bumper car arena in 2025. The cast is also open about their love for the series, with Stephanie Beatriz talking to Collider’s Michael Zimmermann about what she’d like to see in future seasons:

“I think I’d like to see them enter Calypso’s world of power, and what does that look like? Is it political machinations that are happening? Who else is in power? Who has power? Who’s beside him? Calypso seems like this fabulous entity, but you see in Season 2 that he and Raven sort of have some backstories. So, who’s where? What’s what? How did Calypso access all this power, and who’s working for him? How does he control stuff? I would love to see John and Quiet get into that world and infiltrate it from the inside out.”

Beatriz might get her wish as Twisted Metal was recently renewed for a third season. If it keeps up its current trajectory, it’ll continue to run laps around the rest of Peacock’s programming. It also proves that video game adaptations are the next big thing in Hollywood, whether on the big or small screen.

Release Date

July 27, 2023

Network

Peacock

Directors

Jude Weng, Bill Benz

Writers

Grant DeKernion, Francesca Gailes, Alyssa Forleiter, Shaun Diston, Becca Black, Alison Tafel

Franchise(s)

Twisted Metal