'Runaways' Season 2 Review Roundup

Adam Barnhardt

12/16/2018 12:06 pm EST

The premiere of Runaways season two is now under a week away and will see the return of Alex Wilder (Rhenzy Feliz), Nico Minoru (Lyrica Okano), Molly Hernandez (Allegra Acosta), and company to live-action.

While the first season found the teen heroes uncovering the evil plans behind their parent's group called The Pride, season two deals with the characters living up to their namesake as they're now on the run.

The embargo in place for the show's review lifted earlier this weekend and as a result, media outlets started releasing their reviews after viewing advanced screenings of the season. While it differs from show to show, Hulu decided to release all 13 episodes to members of the press to be reviewed instead of the traditional first six or seven, as is usual with Marvel's shows on Netflix.

As of this writing, the reviews tend to be generally positive, with a fair amount of reviewers mentioning that the show has an increased quality over its debut season. Keep scrolling to read what people are saying about the sophomore outing of the Hulu hit!

Are you excited for the second season of Runaways to hit Hulu? What'd you think of season one? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

All 13 episodes of Runaways season two hit Hulu December 21st, 2018. The first season is streaming now.

Michelle Jaworksi - The Daily Dot

Runaways hits the ground (pun not intended) running as we follow the six teenagers—and a genetically engineered dinosaur named Old Lace—framed for murder by their own parents. Now on their own, they quickly discover just how unprepared they are for the prospect. On top of trying to dismantle their parents' plans to drill into a hole that could result in California breaking off from the rest of the U.S., they have to fend for themselves.

Read the full review here.

Trey Mangum - /Film

The actors in the well-cast series continue to shine with Lyrica Okano (Nico Minoru), Gregg Sulkin (Chase Stein) and Virginia Gardner (Karolina Dean) bringing their A-game all season, alongside solid performances from Rhenzy Feliz (Alex Wilder) and Ariela Barer (Gertrude Yorkes). Though she turns in good performances as well, Allegra Acosta still remains woefully miscast as Molly Hernandez, but none of this is due to the actress' performance, as Molly should have been written older or another actress should have been cast. But again, Acosta does the best with what she's given.

Read the full review here.

Corey Plante - Inverse

Without spoiling much of anything, we do learn more about Jonah's grand plan throughout Season 2, and it's one of the most dire threats to ever face the MCU. Watching the Runaways attempt to stop him is one of the most exciting storylines Marvel has done in TV form.

Read the full review here.

Kevin Yeoman - ScreenRant

As with many streaming shows (comic book adaptations and otherwise), Runaways' biggest problem was one of pacing. It wouldn't matter if the series had been delivered as weekly appointment television or an all-at-once binge-watch. However you cut it, the first season was pretty much a slog. The drudgery was the result of a go-nowhere plot that involved an unnecessary mystery that revolved around a flaky-skinned Julian McMahon, who, as it turns out, feeds (really, really slowly) on humans and can turn into a tacky nightlight, just like Karolina. Oh, there was also a giant hole in the ground. Yes, part of the climax of season 1 involved a literal void. The unintentional bit of meta-self-owning may have helped establish a blueprint for season 2, but it also underscores a bad habit the series has of holding onto cards it should deal with more immediacy.

Read the full review here.

Kat Calamia - Newsarama

One of the most gratifying stories of the premiere was seeing the development of Karolina's character from last season on full display. Even though the teens must physically run away from their parents, Karolina, for the first time in her life, doesn't have to hide anymore. She's allowed to be open about her feelings for Nico. Their relationship is very sweet, and I can't wait to see how it develops.

Read the full review here.

Alex McLevy - The AV Club

Quality has generally improved on this series. The freshman season fell victim to the Marvel Netflix curse, spending much too long stretching out its tale of a group of former high school friends banding together after discovering their parents were the heads of an evil society that murdered children in order to acquire wealth and power. This tap-dancing gets largely rectified in these new episodes, with the major plotline carried over from season one resolved just beyond the halfway point.

Read the full review here.

Peyton Hinckle - ComicsVerse

Some were a little disappointed by the slow pacing of the series, but I thought it was a smart way to ramp up excitement while also giving the parents the screen-time they deserve. Still, I was among those cheering when I saw the first few scenes in "Gimme Shelter," where the kids are running through L.A. literally looking for shelter. The moment, while not a perfect parallel, is only one of many scenes that help form a strong connection between the comic and the show.

Read the full review here.

Sean P. Aune - The Nerdy

I'm thrilled to tell you that season 2 is vastly improved and it feels like a much tighter season this time around. Yes, everyone gets storylines this season, including the parents, but for the most part they all connect to the Runaways themselves in some way or trying to deal with Jonah (Julian McMahon) in some way. No more of this oddness of parents having an affair and those parents being at war with each other and so on. There are still some detours here and there, but nothing along the lines of the first season.

Read the full review here.

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