Limetown is arguably one of the biggest, or at least, most well-known audio dramas around. What started off as a rejected dream created by two film students, soon became one of the most recognizable audio dramas around. The first season of Limetown was one that defined the phrase “edge of your seat.” Filled with twists and turns, memorable, emotional characters and fantastic audio quality, listening to Limetown for the first time was one of the most immersive experiences I’ve experienced in an audio drama. I was so engulfed with Lia Haddock and her journey to discover what happened in Limetown that at times, I forgot where or was or what I was doing as I listened in awe. As I made my way to the finale, I remember coming home from work over this past summer, sitting on my couch and listening to the conclusion unravel before me. Listening as my favorite character, one that i had grown to almost care for, Lia Haddock, disappeared.
So I, like many other fans, was anxious for season two. I wanted to know alongside the countless other listeners, what had happened to Lia Haddock and where could Limetown possibly go from here.
I guess I should consider myself lucky that I only had to wait a short few months before returning to the world of Limetown. Fans before me had been waiting years, all craving to know what happened to Lia.
So, when Season two was announced, I was beyond excited. Season one had ended on an insurmountable cliffhanger and I could only imagine what would transpire as I binged Season two.
To be frank, what transpired was something I had never anticipated: Absolute disappointment.
To backtrack for a second, what had made Season One so fantastic is the fluidity of the story. Scenes changed seamlessly. Characters, even minor ones, felt important to the story being told. The performances were breathtaking and to put it simply, it was so convincing of itself, that if you didn’t know better, you would’ve thought it was real.
Now back to Season Two. Our story opens up in “modern day” London, and by modern day, I mean just a few hours after the disappearance of our beloved Lia Haddock. We meet our new protagonist, Charlie, meeting with a survivor of Limetown.
And while the performances given in the first two episodes are fantastic, much of it I forgot almost immediately. Nothing gripped
The brilliance that I speak of begins with Episode Three, “Halifax,” an episode, that in my eyes, brought us back to familiarity in terms of storytelling. Filled with imagery of a Limetown-
What episode three showcased to me was a return to what I loved so much about Limetown and a return to the ideas, themes, and mysteries I found so intriguing about season one.
Which brings us to the crux of Season Two, now while I don’t plan to hark on the same gripes that my cohost Gus did, I just want to quickly point out, that a majority of his complaints and critiques I do find to be completely justified; Additional source material should not be necessary for understanding the important plot points of a new season, retconning events from Season One is a no-no and undermining an entire season is blatantly disrespectful to listeners who’ve been following from the beginning.
What Season Two gave us, as both audio drama listeners, enthusiasts and fans of the show is a step-by-step guide on how not to continue a story. Pointless mini-episodes that lack any real plot-driving substance, a one-dimensional main character, and an overly twisted ending, Limetown Season Two is going to go down in the books as one of this decade’s worst sequels to an otherwise, fantastic audio drama. While glimmering with potential, it falls short in almost every other aspect.
P.S. Don’t give your relatable main character super powers.