“Wreck” Season 1 describes itself as a horror comedy and suffers from a classic case of biting off more than it can chew. The instances of humor were far and few in between and were not really funny. As for the horror, we have already seen “Squid Game,” therefore the shock value was instantly diluted. The problem with “Wreck” was that it focused very little on atmosphere building. There were all these people in a closed space with some obviously shady things happening, yet the ominousness or unease that the audience should feel on behalf of the characters was completely absent. Horror-comedy as a genre depends on how insightful the writer can be. It is a matter of bringing together the scary and the absurd, and believe it or not, they usually walk hand in hand. Clearly, the writer did not know how to toe that line, and we understood that with the tattooing scene because what is funnier than a fat Asian man with a penchant for delicate tattoos? Even potty-mouthed Karen’s insults failed to be quirky, giving us no room to adjust a chuckle in the six-episode-long disappointment.
The reason we feel the need to state our opinion of the show is that there is certainly going to be a “Wreck” season 2, and our views on season 1 are going to color our expectations of season 2. At this point, we are expecting some very skippable fare. But if it must be something that holds our interest, then it must be clear as to what it wants to be. The writer can clearly not make it a comedy, so maybe they can just stick to the slasher genre. That will make it a far superior product without the forced humor. Additionally, we noticed that the writer seemed to have a knack for emotional scenes. Our hearts hurt for Jamie when he confesses to Vivian how he had taken Pippa for granted a lot. We also felt Vivian’s struggle to find a sense of belonging with the friends around her. Also, we know that Cormac was supposed to be some sort of comic relief, but his moments with his girlfriend were genuinely sweet. Maybe the writers can focus on building a stronger emotional core for the series because there are certainly plenty of opportunities for that.
Jamie and Olly
This couple has some trust issues to work through. Jamie has had trouble trusting Olly because of his ties to the Filipino mafia and his attempt to attack Sofia. On the other hand, Olly has always perceived Jamie as someone very mysterious. While that can serve as part of the initial attraction, it can lead to a lack of trust later on. In “Wreck” Season 2, we might see them learning to be more honest with each other as they further open up about their past. Jamie has clearly not had an easy life due to his alcoholic father and being constantly bullied due to his sexual orientation. We got the sense that Olly has been out for a lot longer than Jamie. They will probably need to work to meet each other in the middle to move their relationship forward.
Vivian
Vivian has always been unafraid to live life on her own terms, and that is the exact trait that made her the target of Lily, for whom Vivian had developed some really strong feelings. That ought to have shaken her up, in addition to the fact that it is not easy to recover from someone trying to kill you with chainsaw inches from your face. There has to be some trauma from that. Also, we have come to know that Sacramento is not the only ship that is running a “Squid Gamesque” type business. In the ensuing struggle within the group, we would certainly see Vivian take center stage. Jamie, who still doesn’t know that his sister is alive, is using her death as his motivation. But Vivian is going to let what happened between her and Lily fuel her anger.
Cormac and Rosie
Cormac is supposed to be a dork, but by the end of “Wreck” Season 1, he comes across as a strong and stable guy who we can always count on. While Jamie and Olly work on their relationship, Cormac and Rosie might turn out to be their reference points, as they themselves are coming back from trust issues of their own. Some background on them would also be nice, though we would most likely see them fighting alongside the others to take down other ships like Sacramento.
Pippa
She has been the biggest mystery of “Wreck” Season 1. Henry Allan does say that she never got as close as Jamie’s group did, which might mean that Pippa does not know what is going on but was investigating some other conspiracy before she jumped into the ocean. Or maybe she did know and is working with whoever rescued her from bringing down the whole operation. In either case, she will most likely join hands with her brother and work together with them to take action against what is going on. There is also the question of how she survived. We will find it all in “Wreck” Season 2.
Others
We know that Sofia will need to work on her self-esteem, and Karen might make a comeback as a useful witness or an ally. But most of all, we believe that the kids’ story of human hunting won’t be believed by the police when they do arrive, and even if it is, they will be bought, like officer Martinez was. This will create a situation where the kids will be fighting against the entire world, which is something we saw recently in another show called “Outer Banks.” Either way, Jamie and his friends’ troubles are far from over, and they must figure out how to reveal the secrets of the ship to the entire world.
If the writer plays to his strengths, this can actually be a good script. It is okay that it is so blatantly “inspired” because as long as it is good, we can use it to fill the “Squid Game”-shaped hole in our hearts while we wait for the clearly superior product’s second season.
