Future Man was one of those TV shows that probably could have done well with just one season. While a second season was implied, it was a complete story that could easily have left you wondering. Josh Futturman was a guy that was trying to beat an unbeatable game called Biotic Wars. When he becomes the first person to do so, he’s visited by the game’s two main characters, Tiger and Wolf. It turns out that the game was a recruiting tool.
The entire first season was a series of in-jokes and references to time travel stories and their tropes. Over various trips, little changes and what does change is usually for the worse. The season ends with Josh in jail, having ruined his life. He doesn’t mind so much, as he seems to have saved humanity from Dr. Elias Kronish‘s cure for herpes.
Season 2 begins with Josh visited by Tiger and Wolf again, only to realize that it’s all an illusion. Humanity wasn’t saved, only it was the actions of Dr. Stu Camillo that did us all in. Josh must reunite with Tiger and Wolf to once again try to save humanity.
There’s a similar dynamic with the trio. Instead of Tiger and Wolf being the fish out of water, Josh is also out of his element. The entire season takes place in the future, leaving the present-day world behind. (All but the last episode take place in 2162.) Tiger and Wolf still look down on Josh, even though he makes important contributions. Names in the new future are based on function rather than being named for an animal. Wolf finds out that his counterpart makes wheels and is called Torque. (Tiger’s counterpart is named Ty-Anne.)
Those that haven’t seen the first season may want to start there. This isn’t a series where you can pick it up anywhere. It’s also meant for people who are familiar with science-fiction movies. The season finale alone makes light of all the divergent timelines that the trio has created. (It would appear that changing events doesn’t erase the original set of events.) Much of it will seem ridiculous, but this is meant to be a comedy.
There’s a part of me that wonders how long the series can keep this up. The second season does set up a third. I’m very curious to see what that would look like. Could they keep it going for a fourth or fifth? Possibly. There’s plenty of science-fiction to parody. The overall stories are well-planned and obstacles seem natural. It’s also not concerned with having to use all of the characters. As with the first season, episodes may focus on Wolf or Josh.
I will warn you that it is for adults. If you’ve seen the first season, there won’t be any surprises. Much of it will come across as juvenile. There are a lot of sexual humor, some of it even Freudian. Scatological humor isn’t unheard of in the second season. You get some of it in the trailer I’m including, but not all of it. (Soiling oneself is used as a test to see if you’re a biotic or not.) If you made it all the way through Season One, you should be fine with Season Two.
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