Lore is out with season 2 on Amazon Prime now. The second season differs quite a bit from season 1. For one, there is no longer a narrator on the series that was based on a podcast. Still, the lore is fascinating!

Season 2 of Lore does feel quite a bit different from season 1. It seems that the budget has been increased for the production of this second season. Probably because Amazon Prime realized people really liked the show.

Personally, I was pretty surprised that Lore no longer features a narrator. That’s quite a clean-cut from its podcast origin.

However, the stories are still as fascinating and engaging as ever. Like a really f**ked-up fairytale, you’d only tell kids to terrify them!

The new style in season 2

Instead of having a narrator, season 2 of Lore is trying out a few different styles. We’ve watched the two first episodes and they differ pretty wildly in their storytelling method.

First, there’s episode 1, which features little pop-up blurbs. These offer information about the story or the time period itself. It works in some cases, but definitely not all.

For one, things are still happening in the background and the pop-up info is only there very briefly. In other words, be ready to pause if you want to catch everything. It took me a while to be ready for these bursts of information. I ended up seeing them as an intrusion, which I’m sure wasn’t the point.

Episode 2 used little cartoon or comic book animations to add to the story. This means you’re still completely focused on what is happening since the story is being told bit by bit. Needless to say, I definitely preferred the style and method of storytelling in episode 2 of season 2.

Also, you’ll definitely know the story in “Mirror, Mirror” (episode 2), though in a lighter Disney version.

Lore season 2 on Amazon Prime

One long and another short

The runtime of the episodes also differs wildly in season 2 of Lore. The first episode is 54 minutes long while the second is just 35 minutes. I definitely prefer the shorter episodes since I see Lore as a nice snack-entertainment.

After watching an episode, I often want to look up more information on the story. So maybe that’s why the half-hour mark suits me better.

Also, there was something off in episode 1 (“In The Name of Science”). It seemed like they were going for a Guy Richie style. It turned out as a strange fanboy love letter where rock music is suddenly introduced.

Again, this felt more like an intrusion and did not feel natural to the story. Besides, the music really wasn’t that good. It sounded like some producer’s nephew had been brought into a recording study with his high school band.

Sorry, but it did not work for me. It’s supposed to be about the lore and not all this hoopla around it!

Lore season 2 on Amazon Prime

Watch season 2 of Lore on Amazon Prime

Even though I wasn’t crazy about the narrating style of Aaron Mahnke, I can appreciate that this show is based on his podcast. And I do feel like season 2 is missing a narrator. Especially since this was an element that bound the episodes together as a series.

The new methods of storytelling can work, but since this is based on a podcast, the narrator element felt very natural. I would just have preferred a different narrator, but that’s my personal issue with the narration by Aaron Mahnke.

As far as season 2 goes, it’s directed entirely by just two directors. They each get 3 episodes in this 6-episode season.

One is Christoph Schrewe, who has directed shows like Mr. Robot and Fear The Walking Dead in the past. The other is Alice Troughton, who directed episodes on shows like Doctor Who and the new show A Discovery of Witches.

If you enjoyed season 1 of Lore, then you’ll no doubt like season 2. Maybe you’ll even enjoy that they’ve dropped the narrator!

Lore season 2 is out on Amazon Prime from October 19, 2018.

Plot

Season 2 of Lore marks a deeper dive into the surprising characters and real-life stories behind some of the world’s historical atrocities. Ranging from the Middle Ages to the Age of Rockets, Lore 2 explores the motivations of the damned and the bloody and far-reaching aftermath of that damnation.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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