Twisted Metal Season 2 Episodes 1–3 Review: From Killer Clowns to Soul Reapers

If Twisted Metal on Peacock has somehow flown under your radar, let me catch you up: it’s an action-packed, post-apocalyptic thrill ride with a darkly comedic edge that lands somewhere between Mad Max and Deadpool. Yes, I caught myself laughing at moments that, on paper, probably shouldn’t be funny but somehow, they hit the mark anyway. That’s part of the show’s chaotic charm.

Season 1 throws us headfirst into a lawless wasteland, introducing a cast of oddball characters and offering up just enough backstory to get invested. Our main guy is John Doe, played with surprising warmth and swagger by Anthony Mackie. He’s a so-called “Milk Man” essentially a high-risk courier making runs through dangerous terrain. Along the way, he crosses paths with a fierce, no-nonsense woman he nicknames Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz). Together, they set off on a brutal, often bizarre journey to deliver a mysterious package. The prize for completion? John gets a ticket into the supposedly utopian New San Francisco. The catch? He gets in, but Quiet doesn’t.

Then there’s Sweet Tooth perhaps the most unhinged part of an already off-the-wall series. Portrayed with manic glee by pro wrestler Joe Seanoa, this killer clown roams the wasteland in a dilapidated ice cream truck, obsessed with being the most theatrical and effective murderer around. He’s less a villain and more a chaotic force of nature and, honestly, a scene-stealer.

We also meet Raven, brought to life by Neve Campbell in full icy command. She runs New San Francisco with a ruthless streak, playing god with the lives of outsiders. And just when things couldn’t get weirder, we meet Dollface (Tiana Okoye), the porcelain-masked leader of a semi-truck-riding tribe of women. In a twist that raises more questions than answers, she turns out to be John’s long-lost sister.

It’s a wild, offbeat story, brimming with mayhem and just enough heart to keep you coming back. There’s a twisted joy in watching it all unfold something about its reckless energy just works. Season 2 has finally landed, with the first three episodes now streaming on Peacock. And yes, we’ll be breaking them down in our ongoing recaps.

Season 2 episode 1: “PRSRPNT”

Twisted Metal kicks off its second season with a wink to longtime fans. The premiere opens with a nostalgic nod to the original 1995 PlayStation game—complete with the kind of turbo-charged car chases and over-the-top shootouts that made the franchise iconic. It’s a faithful homage, but also a clear signal that this show hasn’t lost its chaotic groove.

One of the early gags involves the town of Modesto being renamed Molesto, which is as ridiculous as it sounds and exactly the kind of immature, throwaway humor this series wears proudly on its sleeve. You’ll either cringe or laugh. Or both.

Sweet Tooth, ever the theatrical sociopath, spends his time mentoring his new sidekick Stu (played with just the right amount of confusion by Mike Mitchell) in the fine art of murder. Naturally, this includes monologues, body count tutorials, and plenty of mayhem. But when Sweet Tooth hears about another notorious killer called Big Baby, his ego can’t let it slide. The mission is clear: find this so-called legend and prove who the real headliner is.

Back in New San Francisco, John finds himself stuck literally and emotionally. He keeps trying to break out of the city, only to be locked back into his childhood home. In a moment of bittersweet nostalgia, he rummages through his sister’s old Baby-Sitters Club books, eventually discovering her diary and a hidden sewer map that just might lead him to their old family cabin. Suddenly, John has a plan brewing.

Outside the city, Dollface is leading a full-blown rebellion. Her crew of “outsiders” is at war with the city’s “insiders,” primarily over access to vital medicine. In true Twisted Metal fashion, she doesn’t just want supplies she wants to tear the whole system down, starting with the city walls.

In one of the show’s more bizarre-yet-on-brand moments, John calls Justin into the shower for a heart-to-heart strategy session (because of course he does). He convinces Justin to help him escape through the sewers but it’s a setup. While Justin and his crew chase ghosts in the tunnels, John sneaks into Raven’s private garage and uncovers two big surprises: a sleek, black muscle car that screams “escape vehicle,” and an ambulance with two unconscious women inside.

Meanwhile, Sweet Tooth finally tracks down Big Baby, played by Don W. Shepherd who wields, I kid you not, a spiked mace attached to a giant umbilical cord. It’s pure Twisted Metal lunacy, and honestly, kind of beautiful in how far it leans into its own absurdity. Big Baby’s mom even gets in on the action, attacking Stu before the inevitable death match. Just before dying, Big Baby drops the name of yet another killer Trash Man sending Sweet Tooth into a new frenzy. Of course, he drags Big Baby’s corpse along with him like a deranged trophy.

John, ever the wildcard, doesn’t take the flashy car instead, he hijacks the ambulance and leaves a note for Raven with one of the comatose women, who turns out to be her childhood friend. Predictably, Raven doesn’t take that well and sends her enforcers after him, cueing another round of vehicular violence that the series executes with flair.

Then we meet Calypso (played by Anthony Carrigan), the eerie figurehead behind a mysterious driving contest. He activates a signal that reaches racers far and wide, laying out the rules: compete for a chance to have your deepest, darkest wish granted. Oh, and his laugh? Absolutely nightmare fuel.

As John speeds away in the ambulance, he encounters a semi bearing the plate “STNSPWN” short for Satan’s Spawn, because of course it is. This triggers another gonzo chase-and-gunfight sequence with Dollface and her porcelain-mask-wearing crew on ATVs. But just when it seems like John’s luck has run out, he realizes two very familiar faces are onboard: his sister Dollface, and Quiet.

Season 2, episode 2: “DOLF4C3”

Episode 2 opens with a flashback that peels back the layers on Dollface’s backstory and, as expected, it doesn’t exactly start with tea parties and daydreams. A decade earlier, she’s seen walking into a grimy dive bar with her boyfriend, only to be shuttled off to a back room where the women sit idly while the men “talk business.” She’s clearly not impressed. But once she figures out the true dynamics that these women are actually the real closers behind the scenes she decides enough is enough. What follows is a blood-soaked coup, and just like that, the Dolls are born.

Jump to the present, and John wakes up in a familiar place: handcuffed, dazed, and very much someone’s prisoner. He’s just survived his ambulance crash from the last episode, and now finds himself in the Dolls’ camp. The reunion with Quiet is sweet, if slightly awkward. The one with his sister, Dollface, is even more complicated thanks to his still-fuzzy memory, he doesn’t even fully recognize her. She gives him the grand tour of the camp, giving us a better sense of this rogue sisterhood and what they’re fighting for.

Quiet introduces him to Roadkill her heavily modded-out ride. John is visibly impressed, but his real interest lies in something a little quieter: he tells Quiet about the family cabin he hopes to escape to, and invites her to join him there. But Quiet has changed. She’s not looking to hide away she has a purpose now. She’s thrown herself into the upcoming tournament and plans to make a game-changing wish if she wins: she wants the walls of New San Francisco torn down for good.

While patrolling the camp, Quiet spots a stranger trying to make off with stolen supplies. She quickly captures the girl and chains her to a tree. The thief? A quick-talking outsider who goes by Mayhem (played with mischievous charm by Saylor Bell Curda). She might just be trouble, but she also brings a new flavor to the group dynamic.

John, uneasy about Quiet risking her life in the tournament, confronts Dollface. He assumes she manipulated Quiet into it, but Dollface shuts that down this was Quiet’s decision, not hers.

Meanwhile, one of the few men in the Dolls’ camp, Jeremy, tries and fails to make contact with John. Whether it’s fear, strategy, or simple miscommunication, it’s left hanging.

With the tournament looming, the Dolls need to choose their champion. Quiet steps forward. So does John. And because everything in Twisted Metal needs a splash of chaos, Dollface proposes a contest. She even lets John use her car for it. Jeremy volunteers too, but he’s taken out of the running almost immediately classic cannon fodder setup.

The competition itself is classic Twisted Metal: a full-throttle obstacle course of exploding paint bombs, flying mud, and mayhem. Quiet comes out on top though not without crashing into a tree right at the finish line. When she realizes Mayhem has vanished from camp, she grabs John and heads out to find her.

Turns out, Mayhem’s been captured by a deranged caveman couple (Jon Ambrose and Anita Nittoly, bringing major hillbilly-from-hell energy). What follows is a brutal brawl. Both John and Quiet show off some slick new combat skills, and when the dust settles, John throws her a compliment: she’s a total badass. Quiet responds by asking him to drive alongside her in the tournament. Not a shock let’s be real, the plot kinda needs them together.

With their goal in sight, the duo sets off toward Diesel City, a place whispered about for having the biggest, baddest weapons around. They plan to give Roadkill one final, savage upgrade. But there’s a twist someone may have snuck onboard for the ride.

As the episode winds down, we’re introduced to yet another contender. At an asylum, a dangerous inmate is offered a deal: his freedom in exchange for competing in the tournament. He’ll be fighting under the twisted patronage of someone named Mr. Grimm.

Season 2 episode 3: “T3STDEV”

We kick things off in a foggy cemetery at night because where else would you introduce a motorcycle-riding death dealer with multiple personalities and a supernatural twist? The newly freed inmate, who we can safely assume is Mr. Grimm (played by Richard de Klerk), literally unearths his weapon of choice a buried motorcycle. It’s grim, theatrical, and totally on-brand.

Meanwhile, with just two days left until the tournament, John and Quiet are still making their way toward Diesel City. In a moment that feels more like tough love than actual logistics, Quiet kicks John out of the car. The reason? Time for some long-overdue sibling bonding. Dollface takes him on a detour while Quiet sets up camp for the night, and Jeremy and Ashley head out on a supply run.

Back at the camp, Quiet opens the trunk and surprise finds Mayhem stowed away inside. When Mayhem boldly claims to be the best driver on the West Coast, Quiet hands over the wheel to see if she can actually back it up. She doesn’t but Quiet sees enough potential to start teaching her anyway. It’s a small but fun dynamic shift between the two.

Dollface, meanwhile, takes John to a shuttered drive-in theater, the kind of place soaked in childhood nostalgia. It’s where their family used to watch movies together. Hoping to jog his fractured memory, she whistles an old signal from their dad. But John shuts it down he’s not interested in remembering a past that doesn’t feel like his anymore.

Any warm fuzzies are short-lived. Their heartfelt moment is interrupted by bullets and then explosions thanks to the arrival of Axel (Michael James Shaw), one of the franchise’s most iconic characters. He’s exactly as bonkers as you’d expect: a hulking man literally fused to a pair of giant wheels, with machine guns mounted at his ankles. It’s cartoonish in the best way.

Axel opens fire, injuring Dollface. The two siblings flee and take cover inside a beat-up vehicle. In one of those wonderfully ridiculous Twisted Metal moments, she pulls out a curved, pre-threaded needle so John can stitch her up on the fly. Never mind where she kept it just roll with it.

They hatch a plan to disable the electrified barrier trapping them in. Sneaking into the main building, they come face to face with Dr. Zemu (Ken Hall), the twisted little man responsible for turning Axel into what he is. And, of course, he wants to repeat the process this time using one of the siblings as his next experiment. Luckily, the plan backfires. Axel is freed, and the good doctor’s mad dreams are put to rest.

Elsewhere, things take a gruesome turn. Mr. Grimm stumbles upon Ashley and Jeremy mid-hookup. It doesn’t end well. A few scenes later, Jeremy is bloodied, limping, and screaming for Dollface and Mayhem to run. Grimm catches up, kills Jeremy, and absorbs his soul in a moment that’s part horror movie, part video game boss level.

Just when it seems like Grimm’s about to tear through everyone, Axel shows up for a brutal throwdown. While the two powerhouses clash, Roadkill and its passengers tear off into the night.

The episode closes with our core crew Dollface, Mayhem, Quiet, and John reunited and looking down over a smoke-choked city that looks like it was plucked straight from the Mad Max cutting room floor. Their goal? Break in and steal the biggest, nastiest weaponry they can find.

Conclusion

By the end of Episode 3, it’s clear we’re finally entering the heart of the chaos: the full-blown, death-defying tournament that defines Twisted Metal. These first three episodes deliver what fans came for unhinged action, bizarre characters, and a twisted sense of humor that somehow makes even soul-sucking reapers feel like fun. With 12 episodes in total, the series is off to a gloriously demented start.

The first three episodes are now streaming on Peacock, with two new episodes dropping weekly until the final trio lands the week of August 28. Buckle up things are just getting started.