A New Kind Of Rain
Back for a second season, The Rain picks up where the last season left off, with Simone and the rest of the group in their truck being chased by Apollon soldiers. After several near-misses on the road, they eventually reach a blockade and are stopped by more soldiers. Frederick steps out one of the cars, giving Simone coordinates to a place where Rasmus could be saved, ignoring the soldiers’ warning to back off from the group. As he talks to his daughter, he’s suddenly shot and dies. Amid the commotion, the group manage to escape in the woods and as they continue running, Sten realizes that the virus inside Rasmus has taken over his immune system and that he may be able to learn to control it. The group arrives at a shelter and decide to find a boat to take them to the coordinates Frederick gave Simone. On their way, they come across a strange tree that seems to be contaminated. Agreeing to take a wide berth, Rasmus holds his hand out and the branch reacts to his presence. As the group press on, they reach a town where they see another diseased tree with a man and woman taking samples from it. The man decides to burn the contaminated bushes which cause Rasmus to collapse on the floor in pain, showing again that Rasmus appears connected to it. After hastily putting the flames out, they greet the others, telling the group their names – Fie and Anders. They knew Frederick and as Simone explains that she was given their coordinates by her father, Fie decides to take them to their base. As they arrive, Fie takes Simone and Rasmus to Jakob in his lab where they carry out tests on Rasmus. At this point, they realize that he’s Patient Zero. Anders explains to the rest of the group that they have been trying to find a cure but are under threat from Apollon who have been chasing them and reducing their numbers greatly. He also shows them a handy electronic shield that makes them invisible too. We also learn that there’s a connection between all infected organisms and the virus spreading into nature. While the group relaxes by trying on different clothes, we also meet Jakob’s sister who is in isolation but desperate to get out. Jakob tells her that with the presence of Rasmus, it may be possible while Jean and Lea solidify their relationship together. As the scientists take a lumbar biopsy from Rasmus’ spinal cord, they realize that there is no blood or spinal fluid but only pure virus. Suddenly, the virus takes over Rasmus and releases itself into the room. As the black cloud swirls around its host, it branches out and kills everyone in the room. The second season starts with a strong first episode with a much improved pacing, new characters and an interesting new plot line. Of course, the dubbing is again inferior so be sure to watch the original Danish version of this one for maximum effect. While it’s great to see the characters back, some of the narratives feel a bit weak; in particular, Lea and Jean’s relationship. Despite this, the first episode brings enough drama and suspense to make it an enjoyable ride. With only 6 episodes instead of 8 this year, The Rain may not feel as overlong as a lot of other Netflix series but whether it can carry on at the same pace as this episode remains to be seen. For now though, The Rain gets off to a good start.
