TV Review: ‘Twisted Metal’ Season 1 Finale
by Frank Martin
The promise left off by the cliffhanger in the previous episode did not disappoint. Twisted Metal had some great vehicle action during the season. Maybe not as much as fans were hoping for, but it was still a good taste. But the opening scene of the finale delivered on the true promise of a Twisted Metal adaptation. It was an excellent free-for-all battle with tons of vehicles shooting in different directions and explosions in a parking lot of other wrecked cars. That’s the type of fun mayhem that the Twisted Metal games embody, and it was great to see it in live action.
The final episode kicked off with action right away as Stone (Thomas Haden Church) and his agents take on John Doe (Anthony Mackie) and his stable of drivers. It seems as though Sweet Tooth (Will Arnett and Samoa Joe) is going to help them, but he’s pretty much on his own team and has no problem attacking everyone. Eventually, John and Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) make their way to New San Francisco, where Raven (Neve Campbell) denies Quiet entry. She shoots John, forcing him to go in without her, and then takes off to become a kind of Robin Hood for this world. Meanwhile, John realizes that Raven was lying and was only using him to enter a tournament of the best drivers in the world.
This episode is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the action at the beginning was incredible and the kind of thing Twisted Metal fans were waiting for. It also ended on an incredible promise for the second season. But a second season is not guaranteed. It felt weird that the first season completely abandoned the tournament format of the video game, but it was understandable. And still, the show managed to be a lot of fun without it. So the fact that they teased it in the closing moments must drive fans crazy — there’s a chance it might not come to pass! Hopefully, studio executives realize how great it would be and won’t pass up the opportunity.
Twisted Metal is now streaming on Peacock.