Back to 15 season 2 review: Light-hearted teen drama is satisfying

The second season of Back to 15 sees Anita going back to the past to fix Luiza’s life, but this time, she has Joel time-traveling with her. The second season is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

As Joel tries to hack into Anita’s Photoblog account, he ends up time-traveling with her when she goes back to the past to fix Luiza’s life. Anita and Joel soon figure out that Anita can no longer travel in time alone; whenever she travels to the past, Joel will be traveling with her.

After witnessing a future that they both do not want, they decide to work together to get their lives to go back to what they were when Joel tried to hack into her account. The only life that they want to change is that of Luiza’s.

Meanwhile, César starts discovering herself and meets Spark, a boy who accepts her for what she is. On the other hand, Carol has a crush on both Douglas and Henrique and has to figure out which boy she likes more.

Apart from Joel and Henrique, Fabrício also starts liking Anita. As someone with the power to travel in time, she must fix everyone’s life, deal with her father’s declining health, and hope to end up with the right man in the process.

Performances

Similar to the first season, Maisa Silva and Camila Queiroz give brilliant performances as the teenage and adult Anita. The two actors have a certain charm to them that draws the audience’s attention.

Pedro Vinícius is another actor whose performance is praiseworthy. Vinícius depicts César’s complex emotions in a way that will make the audience feel like they have become a part of César’s self-discovery.

As João Guilherme and Klara Castanho’s characters grow and change in this season, the two actors adapt to the changes with ease. Finally, Antônio Carrara and Caio Cabral also give adequate performances as Joel and Henrique.

Positives

Back to 15 continues to be a light-hearted show. However, that does not mean that it is bereft of serious issues. Even when the characters deal with issues like death, the show does not lose its high-spirited energy.

César’s story arc has to be the best thing about this season. It is treated with care and depicted in a way that the audience will understand the character. Additionally, it is full of heartwarming moments that will get the audience invested in the character. So when César gets a happy ending, one cannot help but feel satisfied. 

As the show deals with teenagers and their problems, it tries to highlight how important friendships can be in a teenager’s life. Having their friends support and accept them makes the characters’ lives a lot easier and the show a lot more gratifying.

By showing how an almost insignificant action in the past changes the whole lives of the characters in the future, the show tries to emphasize that it is the small actions that sway human emotions and have a huge impact.

Negatives

The show’s world comprises a group of people who have been friends since high school. In every timeline, these characters end up with each other, which seems quite impossible. The show would have benefited by introducing new characters in different timelines.

Although Anita is the protagonist, her character is not very likable. She often claims that she is trying to improve everyone’s life, but that is not always the case. From the first episode of this season, her dealings with Joel make it very evident that Anita cares about others only when it is convenient.

Furthermore, seeing Joel and Anita going back in time and meddling in the lives of teenagers makes it hard to believe that they are actually adults. In the company of teenagers, Joel and Anita act no better than them.

Verdict

The second season of Back to 15 has its flaws, but it is still an enjoyable teen drama. Overall, this season is certainly better than the first one.


Also Read: Back to 15 season 2 summary and ending explained

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