Jurassic World: Chaos Theory season 2 is the seventh season overall in the animated Camp Cretaceous saga. This series follows the Nublar Six, survivors of the disastrous events of Jurassic World who lived on Isla Nublar for months. In Chaos Theory, they are adults and finally back on the mainland, but so are the dinosaurs.
[Warning: light spoilers for seasons 1 & 2 of this animated series are discussed below!]
Season 1 of the Netflix animated series left off with Darius, Sammy, Kenji, Yaz and Ben climbing aboard an illegal dinosaur cargo ship bound for an unknown location. Meanwhile, the presumed-dead Brooklyn is revealed to still be alive, and hunting for the same illegal dinosaur dealers as the other five. As the story unfolds, the main group gets closer and closer to uncovering the dino-dealing conspiracy, while Brooklyn becomes uncomfortably close to the mysterious “Broker.”
I don’t even know what more can be said about this new season of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory that I didn’t already say in my review of the previous season. Once again, the brilliant team behind this series continues to raise the bar, delivering an even better season than the last.
A new location for Netflix’s Jurassic World: Chaos Theory
When the season began with the Nublar Five-of-Six on a mysterious boat in the middle of a storm, I was sure that they were going to end up marooned on yet another mysterious dinosaur-infested island. After all, the island-trotting was a staple of the Camp Cretaceous series. This made me a little nervous, as I worried that this season would reuse the plot of Camp Cretaceous season 4.
But the creative team behind this show is unafraid to stray out of familiar territory. Instead of a deserted, mysterious island, our heroes find themselves on the shore of the West African nation of Senegal.
The team meets fourteen-year-old Zayna Mballo and her mother on a farm out in the jungle. They are surprised to discover that dinosaurs have been appearing around Senegal. Until now, they’d believed that the loose dinosaur problem was mostly contained to North America. The Nublar gang, along with Zayna, must travel upriver through the jungle to find where these new dinosaurs are coming from.
Most of the action for this season ends up taking place in Senegal, which works really well as a stage for the ensuing adventure. In addition to various new dinosaur threats, our heroes must also contend with dangers of the jungle, such as lions and a particularly feisty hippopotamus. It makes for yet another thrilling season with tension, action, and scares aplenty.
Additionally, portrayals of African nations outside of Egypt are noticeably absent from a lot of American media. And when they do show up, they’re often depicted in a negative light. It’s extremely refreshing to see an American show portray Senegal in a positive light, featuring great new additions to the cast.
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Raises the Bar for an Already Excellent Animated Saga
Drama bomb! The characters in Chaos Theory season 2
Speaking of the cast, there is plenty more juicy drama and character development in this new season. One of the best things about the previous season, and the Camp Cretaceous saga as a whole, has been the complex interpersonal relationships on screen. But I think that this season was a step-up in terms of meaningful relationship development.
For starters, I like Zayna as a new character. While she feels like somewhat of a run-of-the-mill feisty, sassy teenage character, she also shows genuine heart and gels really well with the main cast. It remains to be seen whether Zayna will go on to be recurring in the rest of the series. However, I, for one, wouldn’t mind seeing the Senegalese teen return in future episodes.
Kenji, Brooklyn, and Ben in particular are the focal point of a lot of the character drama in this series. While I won’t get into spoilers, it’s safe to say that their character development in this season will have a major impact on the future direction of the show. All of this culminates in a shocking season finale that is guaranteed to have fans of the show with their jaws on the floor.
One of the problems I had with Chaos Theory season 1 was that a few moments of character tension and conflict felt a little forced and unnecessary. I didn’t feel that nearly as much this season. I genuinely felt that everything that happened needed to be there. I would say that this was overall a step-up in terms of writing these characters.
The dinosaurs and visuals in season 2
How could I talk about a Jurassic World series without talking about the dinosaurs? Once again, the animators have stepped up their game and created some excellent-looking and sometimes terrifying dinosaurs.
This season sports three new additions to the dinosaur cast: Majungasaurus, Suchomimus, and a blind, leucistic Baryonyx. The Majungasaurus makes for a frightening threat in the season’s first episode, breaking out of containment on the smuggling ship and causing havoc.
The Suchomimus is probably the highlight of this season in terms of dino-design. Not only is it terrifying, but it looks spectacular as well. The coloration in particular is very different from what we’ve come to expect in dinosaur media, and it makes for a memorable antagonist in the jungle scenes.
But the scariest dinosaur this season has got to be the Leucistic Baryonyx. This dinosaur was bred in a lab, and it completely lacks eyes. It makes up for it by having very heightened hearing. This leads to some heart-racing scenes involving the stark white dinosaur chasing our heroes through the pitch-black dark. Additionally, the Baryonyx’s empty eye sockets are bone-chilling nightmare fuel. I think it’s safe to say this terrifying creature will be etched in my memory for the foreseeable future.
The visuals of the season overall continue to raise the bar. The jungle location where most of this season takes place is so verdant and alive. The dinosaurs just continue to look better and better with each passing episode. But even the small details, like the animation of ripples on the water, is so stellar in the season. The animators put their whole heart and soul into this series, and it absolutely shows.
Final thoughts on Jurassic World: Chaos Theory season 2
Overall, this was yet another stellar season of animated television. While this season did feel like a little more like a setup for future installments, that didn’t stop it from being thoroughly enjoyable in its own right. From good additions to the cast, to great new dinosaurs, to a refreshing and new setting, this season only ramped up the tension and quality.
While there’s no official word yet on Chaos Theory season 3, it’s apparent that Netflix is gearing up for a killer third installment to Chaos Theory. Additionally, due to the events of this season, it seems clear that any future seasons will very directly tie in with Jurassic World: Dominion. They may even serve to answer some remaining questions and cover up some plot holes within that movie. Dominion was controversial within the fandom to say the least, so if Chaos Theory can patch it up a little, it will be well worth it.
Looking even farther into the future, it would be really amazing to see the events of this series tie in with Jurassic World: Rebirth. The film, currently slated for release in Summer of 2025, could very well feature characters from Chaos Theory making their live-action debut. Though unlikely, even seeing a cameo from any of the Nublar Six in this upcoming Jurassic World film would be utterly delightful, and a huge treat for fans.
But regardless of the future of this show, Netflix has once again delivered us a fantastic season, and one that my roommate and I will no-doubt rewatch over and over. If I were a Netflix executive, I’d say “Seven more seasons on my desk by tomorrow morning.”
Season 2 of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory is now available to stream on Netflix. What did you think of this season? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or in The Cosmic Circus Discord.
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