Yes, Standard Action was so successful that it spawned a second season
(and it has even managed to get `renewed' for a third season). This new
season builds on the loose ends that were left in the wake of Torval's
defeat, which is very satisfying in a continuity sort of way. Yes, it
is cool that all of those hints of a deeper campaign from the previous
season are actually meaningful.
To refresh, our heroes are Edda the Elfin Barbarian, Martin the Druid, Fernando the Half-Halfling Bard, and Gwenivere the Sorceress. Our story opens with a series of weak comedy skits before the next episodes leads to their banishment to an alternate plane. Sadly, the alternate plane is a modern Earth office building. Sigh. The sets were cheap, I suppose. This resulted in the party being split and it does not rejoin for the rest of the season.
Like last season, the fights are scant, often ending rather abruptly with little combat. The best choreographed fight happens when Edda has a run-in with some masked fellow who makes her look foolish in a comedic fight. Also, multiple characters from last season return, most notably Edda's wizard boyfriend, Cedric. He was last seen in the first episode of season 1 but is reintroduced in the last episode of season 2. His brief appearance is entirely unrelated (as far as I can tell at this point) from the story arc of the primary heroes, which seems like a waste of time. Peculiar. Of greatest importance is the revelation of the power behind Torval.
Much like the first season, this one lacks coherence. It often seems to ramble about and waste precious story-telling time. Notably, the reintroduction of Cedric. It's like breaking off from the story of Aragorn at the gates of Mordor to see what Mr. and Mrs. Proudfoot are having for dinner in the Shire. Really? There are paper Mache kobolds? Enough said on that subject. Season one saw 14 episodes but this one only had 8. Worse still, this season lacks the greatest strength of last season: a conclusion. It ends in the middle.
To refresh, our heroes are Edda the Elfin Barbarian, Martin the Druid, Fernando the Half-Halfling Bard, and Gwenivere the Sorceress. Our story opens with a series of weak comedy skits before the next episodes leads to their banishment to an alternate plane. Sadly, the alternate plane is a modern Earth office building. Sigh. The sets were cheap, I suppose. This resulted in the party being split and it does not rejoin for the rest of the season.
Like last season, the fights are scant, often ending rather abruptly with little combat. The best choreographed fight happens when Edda has a run-in with some masked fellow who makes her look foolish in a comedic fight. Also, multiple characters from last season return, most notably Edda's wizard boyfriend, Cedric. He was last seen in the first episode of season 1 but is reintroduced in the last episode of season 2. His brief appearance is entirely unrelated (as far as I can tell at this point) from the story arc of the primary heroes, which seems like a waste of time. Peculiar. Of greatest importance is the revelation of the power behind Torval.
Much like the first season, this one lacks coherence. It often seems to ramble about and waste precious story-telling time. Notably, the reintroduction of Cedric. It's like breaking off from the story of Aragorn at the gates of Mordor to see what Mr. and Mrs. Proudfoot are having for dinner in the Shire. Really? There are paper Mache kobolds? Enough said on that subject. Season one saw 14 episodes but this one only had 8. Worse still, this season lacks the greatest strength of last season: a conclusion. It ends in the middle.
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