First Impressions With THE LAZARUS PROJECT Season 2

Review

One of the most exciting sci-fi series to ever come out of the UK returns this month for its second season. Joe Barton’s The Lazarus Project came out of nowhere in 2022 and absolutely blew me away with its adult approach to time travel espionage drama. Its nuanced storytelling and complex character was everything which Tenet hoped to be on the big screen. Only The Lazarus Project pulled it off without without the alienating air of pretentiousness which held that film back from greatness (it’s still a pretty good film imo).

When last we saw George (Paapa Essiedu) and Team Lazarus they were caught in a loop of time that would end with the destruction of Earth. Pretty high stakes stuff. Having bent the rules more than once trying to save his girlfriend Sarah (Charly Clive), George had inadvertently implicated fellow agent Shiv (Rudi Dharmalingam) for most of his crimes. Oh and those include setting off a nuclear bomb, triggering world war three and racking up a high body count.

Across its eight episode first season The Lazarus Project was able to set out an intoxicating lore around the rules of time travel. Barton and his production team had clearly thought this one through. The calibre of storytelling is quite simply unparalleled in British sci-fi television and I don’t say that lightly. It’s impressive story was further bolstered by an incredible cast which also includes Anjli Mohindra, Vinette Robinson and TV royalty Caroline Quentin. So it was safe to say that I was incredibly excited to get my hands on new episodes for season two.

At the time of writing this piece I’ve seen the first three episodes of season two. Those three episodes represent an increase in the scope and scale of The Lazarus Project as Barton truly swings for the fences. Picking up in the aftermath of season one, the entire of civilisation is still caught in the loop which ends with the destruction of Earth. Every three weeks George is forced to return to the moment he shot Shiv, both reliving the pain of the gunshot over and over. Psychologically that’s gotta do something to a person right?

The story of season two so far has a much more urgent sense of pacing. With the destruction of humanity constantly looming the team is on edge. The loop also allows for Barton and the series’ writers to play with other elements of the Groundhog Day scenario, some of which may be important bread crumbs for later in the season. A passing reference to the outcome of a tennis match leads to other subtle changes in the loop which suggest other forces in play. An intriguing potential rebalancing of the cosmic scales that could signal more trouble ahead for Team Lazarus.

That tight sense of pacing really pays off as the series feels both incredibly rewarding and binge worthy. At the end of each of the three episodes I’ve immediately wanted to press play on the next which is always a strong sign of the quality of storytelling. Each episode ends at key moments in the story that will keep the viewing hanging for the next. Episode three, in particular, left my jaw hanging on the floor so consider yourselves warned. But more than just shock value there’s so much about The Lazarus Project which is rewarding to watch. With the weight of the time loop hanging on each of their heads, the team is pushed to the limited and that elicits plenty of interesting conflict as the season develops.

George and Sarah continue to be a strong focus for the series. Particularly given that Sarah finds herself recruit in to The Lazarus Project early in the season as a consequence to George having given her the inoculation which provides immunity to the time jumps. The exploration of their relationship, as it stands now and how it began, is fascinating and at times heartbreaking to watch. Essiedu and Clive have great chemistry on screen and it’s fun to watch them spar of what was, or perhaps wasn’t, meant to be. It also seems that season 2 has large plans for Wes, leader of the pack. Quentin continues to play straight but there are clues to be found which could potentially add us to a more sinister role in the invention of time travel. But as is always the case with The Lazarus Project I just can’t predict where it is going to go.

There are plenty of new elements which come in to play early in season two. A rival agency, Time Break Initiative, may hold the key to creating and stopping the time loop. But it certainly seems this story will run right through the second season. Their introduction includes the arrival of a shady new character played by Colin Salmon who makes a more than intriguing reference to living through plenty of world ending crises. As was the case in season one, The Lazarus Project spins its tale as and when it wants to. Keeping its audience and its characters hanging on its every revelation.

From the three episodes I’ve seen so far, season two improves on the already impressive production value of season one. The time loop enables the series to reuse certain key special effects shots which no doubt helped the budget. But that doesn’t mean they have scrimped elsewhere. There are car chases, cavernous sets and a continued sense that this is a series of global proportions. It’s difficult to find fault which makes me even prouder that this is a British production.

Verdict

Season two of The Lazarus Project is off to an incredible start. The first three episodes are compulsory viewing. It’s serialised storytelling at its absolute finest thanks to strong writing, impressive casting and twist after thrilling twist. I simply cannot wait to see where this goes.