If you ask me, Twisted Metal, the fan-favorite TV adaptation of the classic PlayStation franchise, is one of the most underrated series in Peacock’s entire library of original content. It’s the exception, rather than the rule, for video game adaptations to let down legions of gamers and fans, largely because the makers of such titles (*cough* Borderlands *cough*) will too often parachute into the project without actually having played the games — and, thus, have no clue why they’re so special to fans. But Twisted Metal, which returns to Peacock this summer, is something completely different.
The team behind the show took what was great about the games — the car-smashing, wisecracking, post-apocalyptic mayhem — and somehow turned it into a surprisingly fun series that doesn’t take itself seriously, making it something we don’t get often enough from TV land. The show isn’t out to reinvent the wheel; it simply exists to make you laugh and generally feel good. That’s it.
When Twisted Metal‘s first season dropped in 2023, it caught a lot of people off guard. A show based on a PlayStation car combat game from the ‘90s? With Anthony Mackie as the lead? And Will Arnett voicing a murderous clown? Somehow, it worked. It gave us a mix of road rage, dark humor, and surprisingly solid character moments. Viewers like me had a blast bingeing it all.
In Season 2, which hits Peacock this summer, we pick up following the revelations from the Season 1 finale, with John and Quiet entering the deadly Twisted Metal tournament — a sinister demolition derby hosted by the mysterious Calypso. Dangerous new foes as well as familiar faces abound — like the murderous clown Sweet Tooth and John’s long-lost sister Dollface.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher as John Doe (Anthony Mackie) and Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) risk their lives to compete in a dangerous demolition derby tournament,” writer and showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith says. “The prize? A single wish, their greatest heart’s desire, granted. The only problem is sixteen other drivers have wishes of their own.
“Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz lead a stellar cast, including Will Arnett and Joe Seanoa (aka Samoa Joe) as fan favorite Sweet Tooth, and Anthony Carrigan as the iconic tournament host Calypso, in a fast-paced, hysterical, thrilling season with unforgettable characters. It’s too bad not all of them will survive.”
Sweet Tooth, of course, is the terrifying ice cream truck-driving maniac who steals every scene he’s in. Played physically by wrestler Samoa Joe and voiced by Arnett, he’s the deranged cherry on top of this demolition derby sundae. Expect even more chaos from him this time around — because Twisted Metal wouldn’t be Twisted Metal without him.
Long story short, start your engines – because Twisted Metal Season 2 is about to take this already great show to the next level.
