arts // no. 8 theotherpress.ca Second season combines heart and humour of first season with raised emotional stakes > ‘Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 2’ review Rebecca Peterson Humour Editor he largely popular animated Netflix series Voltron: Legendary Defender aired its second season on January 20, after a seven-month hiatus. As a fan of the first season (and to ignore the inauguration of the Orange Tyrant Who Shall Not Be Named), I wound up marathoning the whole thing over the course of a few days. I'd been eagerly awaiting the return of this series, and I was not disappointed by its second season. The series picks up where the finale of Season 1 ends (so spoiler warning, if you haven't watched the first season yet). The paladins of Voltron are thrown out of a destabilized wormhole after escaping the clutches of the Galra and their tyrant leaders, Emperor Zarkon (Neil Kaplan) and the witch Haggar (Cree Summer). Keith (Steven Yeun) and Shiro (Josh Keaton) find themselves crash-landed ona hostile planet together, Hunk (Tyler Labine) and Lance (Jeremy Shada) plunge into a watery world of overly-friendly merpeople, Pidge (Bex Taylor-Klaus) is left stranded alone on a pile of technological refuse, while Allura (Kimberly Brooks) and Coran (Rhys Darby) are stuck in a time loop that only Allura seems unaffected by. Season 2 maintains the quality and heart of Season1, balancing humour and visual gags with genuine gravitas as the paladins find themselves caught up in a growing resistance against the oppressive reign of the Galra. The story arc largely focuses on Keith as he comes to terms with his past and with unexpected revelations regarding his identity, Princess Allura’s struggle to balance her justified hatred of the Galra with evidence that “not all Galra” are genocidal maniacs, and each paladin’s attempt to develop a deeper connection with their respective Lions (components of the larger being, Voltron) and each other. There is also an exploration of the concept of rebellion and the costs of war; the stakes feel a little higher now, as the paladins discover pockets of resistance against the Galra Empire and attempt to band everyone together for a final assault on Emperor Zarkon. Themes of sacrifice and the necessity of solidarity run throughout the season, even touching some of the lighter-hearted episodes (such as the joyfully ridiculous “Space Mall”). The arc answers some questions from the first season while inspiring many more, with the finale ending on an absolute cliff hanger that’s sure to leave fans desperate for the next season to air. If I were to criticize the season in any way, it would be for separating the paladins far too often. Much of the show is based on the concept of “found family,” and Season 1 was certainly about building those bonds between each of the main characters. However, some of these connections seem a little more tenuous in Season 2, when they should have been strengthening after a significant period of time spent working together. There are four or five episodes where the team is split into groups of two or three, leaving characters out of the narrative entirely for agonizing amounts of screen time. It’s understandable during Episode 8, “The Blade of Marmora,” which does not completely exclude the Canadian Screen Awards nominees announced > Awards show recognizing Canadian film and TV Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist hile many people debate if either La La Land or Moonlight will get the Academy Award for Best Picture at the Oscars this year, any film could win the award for Best Film in the Canadian Screen Awards. Also, a lot of great shows have been nominated for this year’s awards. The nominations of the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards were announced a few weeks ago. These awards celebrate Canadian film and television, and it is basically the Canadian version of the Academy and Emmy Awards. The films that are nominated are great, and all of them are strong contenders. While I know most of the films, some people may not recognize them. Most of these nominees are films that were shown in the Vancouver International Film Festival and they are released in limited release. The nominations for Best Film are Weirdos, Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves, Searchers, Race, Operation Avalanche, Old Stone, It’s Only the End of the World, Hello Destroyer, Before the Streets, and Bad Seeds. Xavier Dolan’s film It’s Only the End of the World got the most nominations with nine, despite the film being a French film with a mostly French cast. Weirdos, which is about two hitchhikers in Nova Scotia in the 1970s, got six nominations. Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves, which received Best Canadian Film at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, is about four people in Quebec becoming terrorists. A local BC film called Hello Destroyer, which is about a hockey player who is banned from his team because he broke the rules, got Image via academy.ca nominations including Best Actor for Fear the Walking Dead’s Jared Abrahamson. The Other Half is also nominated with two nominations, including Best Actress for Tatiana Maslany’s portrayal of Emily and Best Supporting Actor for Henry Czerny, who plays her father. Maslany’s other film Two Lovers and a Bear could have been nominated for Best Film, but was not selected. In TV, there were a lot of great shows this fall. Canadian TV has been excellent this season compared to the Image via trbimg.com other paladins but certainly focuses on Keith as he struggles to discover more about himself and his past. However, entire episodes are dedicated to the team splitting up on separate missions, undermining the “better together” message of the entire series. It’s not exactly a flaw, but I did miss the banter and comradery between all five paladins and their Altean companions that only a full roster of characters could provide. Allin all, Voltron: Legendary Defender remains an engaging and all-too-lovable series, and I'll certainly be awaiting a third season with bated breath. US, where the only new shows this fall that stood out are Westworld and The Crown. Comedy is an interesting category this year because any show could win for Best Comedy. The number one new show in Canada this fall, Kim’s Convenience, received a lot of nominations including Best Comedy, Best Actor for Paul Sun- Hyung Lee, and Best Actress for both Jean Yoon and Burnaby’s Andrea Bang. Last year’s winner for Best Comedy, Schitt’s Creek, also has a lot of nominations, and so does CraveTV’s Letterkenny. The drama category will be tough this year. Orphan Black (which will end this season) got the most nominations with 14, including Best Drama and Best Actress for Maslany for the fourth year in a row. However, it will have to battle other shows including last year’s winner for Best Drama, 19-2, History Channel's Vikings, This Life, and Omni’s Blood & Water. Discovery Channel’s Frontier, which is about the Hudson’s Bay Company, is also nominated. With the 150th birthday of Canada, we should all celebrate Canadian film and TV by watching them on DVD, unless you'd like to watch Letterkenny, which you need to have CraveTV to see. The Canadian Screen Awards airs March 12 on CBC, and Howie Mandel is hosting.