Ghosts, Demons, and Colorful Assassins in Marvel’s Hit-Monkey Season 2

Ghosts, demons, and colorful assassins ought to make for a wild theme park ride. Unfortunately, Season 2 of Marvel’s Hit-Monkey is more akin to that ride’s extended queue lobby, inviting us to line up in anticipation and receive instructions from talking animatronics. Its 10 episodes are detailed, and in some ways imaginative, but they aren’t the main event. By the time they’re done, we’ve been primed for a fun twist on the series’ premise – but it’s only as a tease for what lies beyond the turnstile.

Season Premiere Adds New Wrinkles

The season premiere adds some interesting wrinkles to Season 1’s nearly three-year-old finale, featuring spirit hit-man Bryce’s decision to stay on Earth and assist his simian assassin friend, the minor Deadpool villain Monkey. Bryce made a deal with the Devil to live a little longer in exchange for helping with Satan’s nefarious long-term plan. This gives Bryce the opportunity to make amends and reconnect with his estranged daughter, Iris, in the new season’s setting of New York.

Returning Characters and New Additions

While these new directions make for intriguing drama and occasionally funny comedy, the series struggles to shake off the weight of the past. Returning characters like the Japanese cop Haruka and scorned politician Akiko feel awkwardly shoehorned in, while new characters like Leslie Jones’s boisterous former agent Eunice and various assassins-for-hire lack distinctiveness.

Challenges with the Central Premise

Hit-Monkey’s creators attempt to address the central premise of a ghost assassin who communicates with his mute primate sidekick by giving Bryce temporary corporeal form and the ability to speak to characters on his own. However, this unintentionally sidelines Monkey and fails to hone in on a compelling moral dilemma for the furry gunman.

Struggles of Season 2

The show lacks an enticing overall structure and fails to provide an episode-to-episode hook, making it challenging to binge-watch or follow weekly. While Season 2 builds to a satisfying conclusion, it feels unfocused and slow in its execution.

Conclusion

This season of Hit-Monkey is mostly a collection of insincere quips and observations with limited depth in character development and thematic exploration. The setting of New York lacks distinctiveness, and the series overall lacks the engaging storytelling needed to make it a compelling watch.