i have mixed feelings about this. despite some excellent episodes, this season feels so rushed, with unnecessary jumps in the plot, that it seems like the story was originally intended to unfold across multiple seasons but was compressed into just 2 due to external pressure. at times, it’s completely chaotic for viewers unfamiliar with the game, while the final episode ventures into overly philosophical territory-- more than it perhaps should-- yet still ends up feeling incomplete. perhaps the first season truly was so groundbreaking that our expectations for this one were set unrealistically high, leaving us with little more than a collection of clichés. production-wise, it's undeniably one of the most visually stunning series ever made, but is that alone enough? i'll definitely need to rewatch the entire series at some point, especially since the long gap between seasons, while understandable given the level of quality, doesn’t help the overall experience.