Fate: The Winx Saga quickly rose to prominence on Netflix after Season 1's January 2021 release. However, it wasn't without controversy. Fans of the original show were quick to point out that the Netflix version of the animated comedy The Winx Club appeared to have whitewashed some of the characters for live-action. Some of the actors took offence to criticism. With Season 2, the show seems eager to improve by being more diverse. In the end, these choices assist to support an otherwise uneven season.
The events of Season 1 are continued in Fate: The Winx Saga's second season. With headmistress Farah Dowling (Eve Best) still missing and Miranda Richardson's Headmistress Rosalind trying to regain control, the students at Alfea College are adjusting to life at school. She's the only fairy to transform at Alfea College in a long time, therefore she's stern, private, and focused on Bloom.
She continues to have Andreas (Ken Duken)and Beatrix (Sadie Soverall) by her side as she works to make Dowling's "mistakes" right. Unfortunately for her, Bloom and the girls do not support her silence regarding Dowling's absence. Bloom and the others will have to take risks that could cost them everything in their eagerness to find the answers.
Season 2 vastly improves upon Season 1. There is one problem that the writers seem to have trouble solving. Considering her abilities and what she is supposed to be capable of, Bloom continues to be the least fascinating member of the gang. It's upsetting because the actress doesn't fall flat in the role. Abigail Cowen gives Bloom's narrative her best. The writing itself is the issue.
It seems as though Bloom's narrative won't ever alter. She possesses the dragon flame, but when will she be able to transcend her current state as a dragon flame fairy? Instead of making the heroine reckless and forcing people around her to constantly clean up her mess. Instead the writers should let her develop. Thankfully, the other girls are fascinating.
Aisha (Precious Mustapha), Musa (Elisha Applebaum) and Terra (Eliot Salt) each have their time to shine. Particularly Aisha, who in Season 1 was frequently employed to further the plot via "snitching." She is developed into a fully thought out character in Season 2. She is given the opportunity to experience life as a real student and a real teenager.
Aisha was portrayed in the first season as a good girl who had no trouble leaking information about her pals. Her entire self-concept was that of the honourable student who dared not act irrationally like her pals. She is permitted to have flaws and relationships with anyone besides the girls this season, though. It's a much-needed improvement. Regarding the others, the same is true.
Particularly Terra and Stella feel that they have advanced much since the first season. Beatrix is the only character that feels ill-conceived, and she barely changes from the first season. It's difficult to figure out who she really is because the show doesn't reveal who she is until the very last episode of the season. Making her a confusing character who doesn't have any meaningful development.
How about the boys? Although some of them progress this season, they really are more present to advance the story than to develop into their own noteworthy characters. Yet, there is no denying that the chemistry between all the characters is really strong this season and works well.
In terms of the narrative, Fate: The Winx Saga has some issues. Yes, the season is excellent overall, but there are many problems that seriously undermine it. The battle scenes are still exceedingly brief. For instance, the winner is frequently decided in less than five minutes, and the outcome is almost always obvious. Yet more crucially, not much has changed in the plot since the first season. This is disappointing since by the end of the season we still don't know a lot of the answers to the issues raised in the first season.
However, the season does frequently feel like filler because it doesn't develop nearly as much as it could. Should a third season be approved, there will surely be enough new and fascinating topics to cover based on the finale. In light of this, the young cast gives it their all and delivers some outstanding moments.
Even if there are still many areas where Fate can improve, this season it does make an effort to be more inclusive. That, of course, does not make up for the casting flaws that many people raised during season one, but it is wonderful to see that this time around there is a clear effort being made and it doesn't appear forced. This is a far more improved season, which shows that this show does have promise. The writers need to deliver on this promise and concentrate on creating an exciting story, and some better character development, especially for Bloom.
Performance | 4.2/5 |
Enjoyment | 3.6/5 |
Overall Rating | 3.8/5 |