The American Vandal team is back to solve a new investigation. A new student seems wrongly accused and Sam and Peter try to solve the crime.
The second season of American Vandal begins with a very enticing pilot. After the success of the first season broadcast on Youtube, Netflix wants to collaborate with Sam Ecklund and Peter Maldonado for a second investigation. Sam and Peter's high school lets them go to investigate. This report will be their graduation project. The two acolytes receive a request from Chloe, a young high school student from a posh establishment called St Bernardine. In the latter, an instagram account is rampant: the masked Chieur. This vandal has, among other things, poisoned the lemonade in the canteen. He then posted the videos of the students defecating on the internet.
Police have already arrested a suspect. His name is Kevin McClain. This strange teenager is a victim of school bullying. Kevin confesses under pressure from a teacher. However, Chloe is convinced that her friend Kevin is innocent.
Chloe invites Sam and Peter to her home to find out the truth. They surround themselves with a small film crew paid for by Netflix.
Humor is still present in the series. Scatophile jokes are mostly avoided, because as in the first season the subject, even if laughable and unlikely, is treated by Sam and Peter in a serious way. Indeed, Kevin, excluded from the establishment, wears an electronic ankle bracelet.
The format is still the same as season 1, 8 episodes of about 30 minutes. Writers always use social media to flesh out their words. However, their initial premise, stating that the series is now airing on Netflix, limits the interaction of "viewers" on their project. Indeed, in season 1, they had been able to advance in their investigation by following leads given by Internet users. It's a bit of a shame because the series loses the amateur and homemade side that made the series realistic.
This season more than the first demonstrates the hacking facilities of social networks. The dangers are real and demonstrated here almost from beginning to end. Several characters are victims of "revenge porn". This practice of putting nude photos or videos on the web, usually of an ex-partner, is common among teenagers.
The characters featured in this season of American Vandal look realistic. Indeed, even if they seem stereotyped at first, we discover them more subtle and touching gradually.
This season's scenario seems less well structured. There are sometimes inconsistencies that are camouflaged by writing facilities. For example, the conversation between Kevin and Chloe at the end seems strange because it is difficult to understand why they would want to talk about their relationship when there are people filming them.It's also a shame that we don't learn what happens to the characters we liked in season 1, like Gabi or Dylan. In addition, Peter and Sam's characters become stiffer and this makes the whole thing less pleasant to watch.
Some elements destabilize the viewer. For example, during an interview with a character suspected of having committed the crimes, the camera zooms in on another character. This movement presages that this character might have something to do with the story. However, we talk more about it later. These style effects sometimes make the spectators tick.
The inconsistencies in the script don't do justice to the new characters. However, the concept of American Vandal may have a bright future ahead of it, if given the benefit of the doubt for a season 3.
