Ben’s Breakdown | “The Order” Season 2 Three-Episode Thoughts
When we last left our heroic Belgrave University students at the end of season 1 of The Order on Netflix, they had teamed up and effectively vanquished a very bad warlock named Edward Coventry. However, in keeping with their strict code, the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose has our werewolves’ Knights of St. Christopher memories wiped clean, effectively keeping the peace between The Order of witches and the werewolves. When we see our werewolves again they are each appointed a guardian from The Order to watch after them as well as wipe their minds should they start to remember who and what they are. The problem is that they are becoming immune to the spell used to make them forget. Alyssa suggests to the Grand Magus (Vera) that they should be inducted into The Order, giving them powerful werewolves to fight along their side. There is only one problem. Someone is practicing bad magic, which alerts the four knights and starts their transformation into werewolves. That also causes them to remember bits of their past. Lilith prepares a potion that will protect all of the knights from further memory tampering. This forces Alyssa to enable them to remember EVERYTHING. The knights agree to some duplicity along with Alyssa. They pretend to not remember their pasts while being brought into The Order at the same time but are secretly are plotting their revenge against The Order. To complicate matters they have a rogue witch to deal with as well as the impending arrival of the Emperor Demon. Lastly, all of the tools that the knights and The Order had at their disposal are gone! Only three episodes in and what else can go wrong?
When I reviewed The Order after its first season wrap-up I stated that I found the ending to be utterly disappointing. Having the memories of the four knights wiped felt like the cheapest of reset buttons imaginable, and that if the series were to continue (there was no word at the time of the review if there would be a second season) that it would completely undermine everything that happened towards the end of the first year. In other words, the writers painted themselves into a very tight corner. Well, I’m pleased to say that I was wrong! Not only did this show find a way to make the memory spells logical in their use, but the writers also found an equally logical way to have their memories restored, along with some potentially nasty fallout for The Order. There was no use of a reset button here. There is definitely some forward momentum with the development of the story as well as with the characters.
I admit that I had my doubts when I sat down to watch the first episode of this second season, but was pleasantly surprised to see how last year’s wrap-up was handled as well as the plot complications and misdirections that have been thrown at us in only three episodes. I’m glad to see these characters have returned and I’m finding this new season to be off with a very strong start.
Both season 1 and 2 of The Order can be viewed on Netflix.
