My Review of "Twisted Metal: Season 1"

Twisted Metal: Season 1 aired back in 2023 and I'm only now getting a chance to finish watching it. There's just so many shows to watch that it's been put on the backburner until now. I'm familiar with the video game that it's based off of and that's why I got a little more enjoyment when it came to the final episodes of this show.

The show starts off with the introduction of John. He named himself John Doe because he doesn't really know how he is. Basically he's a drifter like everyone else in this weird and apocalyptic world. His job is what they call a milkman. Basically he drives packages from one place to another.

The problem with driving packages from one place to another is that this world is extremely dangerous. There are bandits and thieves everywhere and no one in that profession usually stays alive for too long. Fortunately for John he's really good at his job. Some would say, he's one of the best.

His main mission is to get a package and deliver it to this utopian city. They promised him permanent residence in this utopian city. Obviously, he wants in but it's going to be one of the most dangerous deliveries he's ever made. There's a 10 day delivery due date but if there's a chance he'll take it.

Along the way, he'll meet Quiet who is this crazy vagabond that unites with John on his journey to deliver this mysterious package. The two of them encounter a number of delusional and psychotic killers. As they go deeper into the country they'll meet more people that are set out to kill them. There are the odd friendly encounter that they'll meet but for the most part everyone is out to get them and it's crazy.

This show is really on brand with the video game that it's based off of. The brand of humor is very similar as it is extremely dark and twisted. Pretty much most of the jokes are aimed at adults and are quite crude. Remember this is a game that was geared towards boys in the 90s.

There are some changes made to this show to make the show more accessible and modern. These changes don't really compromise the crudeness or direction of the show. It does still feel quite faithful to what I would image a show based on the video game would have been.

I also like the fact that the characters are very realized. They are who they claim to be. For example there are a number of fish out of water moments for John and Quiet. They've lived so long in isolation in this apocalyptic world that they don't know any of the nice things that we have or used to have back in the day. The huge disaster had happened back in the 90s so none of the technologies of our modern world are there. They're still seeing things with the technology of the 90s. Also they're so depraved that they don't know what good food or comfort is. All of this really helps us believe in these characters and feel for them as well.

The unpredictable nature of the show is also a really nice addition to the show. You kind of don't know what's going to happen next. There's a sense that almost anyone can be killed off. No one really feels safe in this world and I love how they were able to do this even though in the back of my head I know it not to be true. Still that air of disbelief lingers somehow.

Overall, I really liked this season of the show. They set it up with a ton of questions by the end of the season. It was written like a second season is expected. I'm crossing my fingers that they do. That last episode really made me happy because I remember a lot of the things that they added to the show reflected the video game. That's why I have to give this season a 7.5 out of 10. I can't wait for the next season.