Hex: Season 2 [DVD] [2006]

Season Two is very different to Season one. I feel like the first season was more of a sexual, coming of age story with horror blended in where as Season Two feels more like teenage genre show of that time. It was sad to see Christina leave the show as Cassie because she was such a central part of the series. Ella is a very different character. I liked a lot about Ella but sometimes she made decisions that didn't quite feel right for someone who has been training for hundreds of years to stop Azazeal & the nephilim. Thelma got a lot more focus in Season 2 which i liked because Jemima is great in this role and the character is fun to watch.One of the best things about this season is the Nephilim monsters. They really are genuinely horrifying. Whoever did those creature effects did a superb job. I've yet to see anything like it on a TV show or movie.Overall it's one of my favourite shows. I would love to see a modern version of the show. I think it's a gem, it's got such a unique mythology set in this amazing british location. I would love to see Amazon or a network revisit and explore this story & world.

Ok so first off, I did not expect to really love this series but despite my better judgement I totally dug it. Admittedly it was this final season that hooked me and it remains a guilty pleasure. I've heard a lot of negative things said about Hex which is partly what contributed toward me never wanting to watch it. But I'm glad I finally did. I watch a lot of American genre television and I think the quality of that spoils me to an extent, but Hex is very British and it has that quirkiness to it that only British TV has. It's very refreshing to watch a British genre show and while there are a few continuity contrivances that demand a fair amount of thought, there's nothing so glaringly plot holed that taints ones enjoyment of the series. The characters are easy to become emotionally invested in and that's what the most important thing is, that you care what happens to these people. Hex succeeds in doing so which as a result makes the series all the more gratifying. The direction is wonderful and this series contains some of the best sets and artistic camera moves I've seen on television. The mood is set by the wonderfully dark and atmospheric setting which is captured with some amount of scope.The pacing of these episodes are much quicker compared with the first season, and there's a lot more action overall. The main cast get a makeover: a new character is introduced in the first episode (Ella). Who I find to be far more interesting than Cassie. Ella is dark, interesting, unpredictable and can fight like the best of them! Leon is also brought to the forefront and undergoes a great deal of character development; which was nice to see. Thelma is as always a joy to watch, and manages to get herself into some considerably grey moral areas. Over the course of the season a lot changes and we see these characters attempt to deal with the events that take place with varying degrees of success. This leads to a lot of character growth and dark subject matter. Hex as a show is very dark, not just in the way its lit, but in its tone and ambience. Which is partly what I enjoy the most, that while its a very dark almost adult show, it retains a great deal of realism at the same time.The tone of Hex is incredibly different to the show it was compared to, Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Hex is nothing like Buffy. They both seek to do different things and achieve what they do in different ways. Although some amount of influence from the former is apparent in some episodes of Hex. The dialogue gets much better this season, it was good before but it feels like realistic dialogue, not flowery or too quick. And finally some realistic romance appears this season, which has natural progression unlike some in the past season.The overarching story arc is good - I won't give it away but the writers do very well up until near the end. There are some interesting subplots weaving their way through the episodes, and the continuity remains quite tight until some of the last few episodes. Though while some plotting toward the end seems a tad random its in context with what has gone before. And is beneficial to the story. With regards to the ending itself, while it was never meant to be the series finale, the finale is pretty good. Evidently not all things are resolved, but I felt there was enough resolve to the key plot arcs of the season that it does not bug me that there will be no conclusion to the larger question of the series. I also enjoyed the post-modernism that reared its head in the finale, great stuff.I reckon the best way to enjoy this series is to not take it too seriously, don't get me wrong it's intelligent but I see Hex as more of a dark 'supernatural-dramedy', meaning a comedy-drama. If you spend hours trying to work out the lodgic/motive of the writers you'll never like it. But it'll never be as good as some stuff out there, it is however very worthy your time. It's one of my favourites and I'll only ever write a review of something I feel is worth recommending, this falls into that category.Cursed - Great opening episode, the pacing is much improved. 9/10The Mother - Twisty. 9/10Spiral - This episode has a lot of amusing moments among the dark bits. 10/10Ella Burns - Very dark episode that takes a look into Ella's past. 9/10With A Little Help From My Friends (1) - Brilliant acting by Laura Pyper. 10/10With A Little Help From My Friends (2) - Superb conclusion to this arc. 10/10Noir - Advances the arc. 8/10Where the Heart is - Good episode, but kinda lacks in purpose. 7/10Doomed - Again a good episode overall but it is a bit random. 7/10You Lose - Back on track. 8/10Hole - Pretty good episode, this helps to setup the next episode. 8.5/10Seven Deadly Sins - Good setup to the finale. 9/10The Showdown - On an enjoyment level very good, but the ending did leave something to be desired. 5/10So overall well worth watching, Hex will no doubt be seen as a cult classic, even if it is a bit like marmite - you either love it or you hate it, I'll be over there firmly seated in the 'love it camp'.

After a fairly weakly written first series, I was not expecting much of this, but I went ahead nonetheless knowing that being a longer series and having new characters, it may be worth the watch. And WOW, it really was.The structuring and pacing of the stories is so much better than the first series. Characters are explored in more depth and the new characters' stories introduced are full of excitement, comedy and horror. The series even dares to go to far darker and more edgy places than before, even being totally unafraid to kill off some very central characters to keep the plot moving - a feat of writing which thoroughly impressed me.Firstly, Ella Dee is an amazing character. After the weak, moody and alienating character of Cassie from series one, Ella is a fresh burst of life: a female character who will garner the respect of the Buffy generation - something not easily done. Her story of complicated journey has much potential for dark exploration, not to mention her modern story involving cool fights, adorable moments and great comedy. Similarly, other already-established characters do not go in the direction you would expect and this unpredicability leads to some of the best arcs and storylines you'll see: watch out for the cute Maya, foxy Roxanne and best of all, the gorgeous Leon.Along with the fresh superior writing, the sets and special FX are impressive for a fairly low budget show. The 1920's Berlin is something to behold, as is the amazing looking Nephilim, and those nasty but striking torture scenes. The hair, make-up and costume departments certainly pull their weight.And of course, there is some great acting. Laura Pyper is particularly impressive. And seeing Michael Fassbender in a role before his more recent arty films is great: a truly imposing actor who was recently described by Dazed and Confused as having 'the on-screen weight of Daniel Day Lewis without the off-screen actorly pretension.'Hex Season Two is a great series not to be missed!