Dr Lazlo Kreisler and his friends (most of them anyway) return to search for a sinister killer of infants in turn-of-the-century New York.
Much like Season 1 (our review here), sordid affairs hidden by members of the upper class and the — often corrupt and incompetent — police are a big part of the setting and storyline. Unlike Season 1, this does not meet expectations, which, after a strong start, were incredibly high.
It is not the acting or the portrayal of old and new characters that disappoints, but rather the complete lack of explanation for many events that took place during that two-year gap between seasons.
That said, you don’t really need to watch Season 1 to be able to follow the events of Season 2. Considering the questions many returning viewers will be asking themselves, it may even be better to watch the second season before the first.
It feels rushed, and at the same time the storyline gets drawn out far too long. Rather than spinning the events on and on, the show would have done better answering questions undoubtedly on many viewers’ minds, and cut to the chase, literally, with this story.
Even though it falls short compared to the first season, this is still a decent period piece, and far from the worst out there. The cinematography is wonderful, the costumes are stunning, the characters are, for the most part, well developed. It’s still worth a watch. But what could have been fantastic is merely adequate.
