Lightning Strikes Twice in Blood of Zeus’ Exciting Second Season

Millennia later, stories about the Greek pantheon continue to strike a chord, as seen in the myriad of novel retellings, videogames, TV shows, and more. Of these many riffs, a fun recent rendition was the adult animated series Blood of Zeus, which had a firm grasp on why these tales haven’t gone out of vogue. It delivered a world of myth that showcased squabbling gods and grisly, grandiose battles, finding its own spin on this material in the process.

Now, more than three years after it debuted on Netflix, we finally have a follow-up season that largely matches and, in many cases, surpasses its predecessor thanks to compelling bad guys, improved visuals, and similarly clever allusions to age-old narratives. While there are occasional pacing issues, and events don’t have enough room to breathe in its brief runtime, this second season is still a brutal, sword-and-sandal epic.

The story picks up as Heron (Derek Phillips), a demigod son of Zeus, reckons with the new status quo caused by the death of a certain deity in last season’s climactic battle. Although that previous conflict has been resolved, an ensuing power vacuum has left the world in a state of discord. In response, Heron embarks on a quest that will hopefully restore some semblance of peace, both for himself and the realm. Meanwhile, we’re introduced to Hades (Fred Tatasciore) and his wife Persephone (Lara Pulver), who view these chaotic times as an opportunity to right a longstanding wrong.

Just like before, one of the show’s most satisfying elements is that it isn’t only inspired by the aesthetics of Greek mythology but also its motifs and story structures. All the classics are here: allusions to self-fulfilling prophecies, weighty dramatic irony, politics on Olympus wreaking havoc on the world below, doomed lovers, gods who essentially behave like mortals but with terrible power, and more. The series channels these elements to create a contemporary analog to these older tales, wringing out Greek tragedy as it weaves an original yarn that isn’t directly ripped from existing legend but captures their undercurrents all the same.

An essential reason why this works is that this portrayal of the pantheon is full of complex characters, whether they’re with our hero or against him. While there are references towards a larger, future struggle against a prototypical force of evil, this run is mostly focused on flawed people bashing into each other as they attempt to claw their way out of unfair circumstances, right past wrongs, or divine who they are.

For instance, there’s the well-rendered relationship between Hades and Persephone, whose deeply felt love (in this telling) leads to understandable motivations and devastating encounters with our hero. Heron also has a lot going on, and it becomes even clearer that his simmering anger is the tragic flaw he must overcome. And perhaps most impressively, even Seraphim (Elias Toufexis), who was previously set up as a classic cartoonish big bad, is given nuance as he stews over how his vengeful actions caused him to abandon someone he loved. Overall, the cast is given well-conveyed motivations that make it conflicting when they cross swords, and even the unambiguously rotten figures are conniving in entertaining ways.