Name: Kings of Jo'burg season 2
Director: Zolani Phakade, Samad Davis
Released: 2023-01-27T13:30:00

In season 2 of Kings of Jo’burg, Mo Masire is taking the reins of the family after the death of Simon but he has enemies from all directions gunning for his head. The episodes are streaming on Netflix.

Story

Mo has killed his brother and taken on the curse of the mermaid. He finds himself as the head of the crime family at a time when there is a lot of uncertainty and threats all around.

Mo’s family is suspicious of him because of Simon’s disappearance. Meanwhile, he gets married and later finds out his wife’s true identity as she reveals that she’s an undercover cop.

Mo’s sister Veronica returns to their lives after 20 years and she appears to help them but she’s actually working against them. It is up to Mo to ensure his family’s safety and face off against the different threats.

Performances

Zolisa Xaluva’s performance is adequate as the main lead and to be honest, it’s a theme that runs through most of the cast this season as many of them are mediocre at best and overly dramatic at worst.

Abdul Khoza plays the role of Victor decently well and he offers a good foil to Mo. He appears to be a dedicated officer to start off but eventually reveals his true colors and Khoza accomplishes that with ease.

Connie Ferguson is yet another solid addition to the cast as Veronica. Her role as a veteran who has trauma from her past is one of the better performances in the season.

Much of the returning cast does not raise the level of their characters and simply extends their reach from the first season.

Positives

The bare bones of the story have so much potential and with better execution and different creative decisions, could have offered up a vastly different, and more impressive season.

Negatives

The supernatural aspect of the series feels so unnecessary and adds a level of ridiculousness to the series. Seeing Mo struggle with the curse as the demonic voices play in the background doesn’t have the chilling impact the creators would have hoped for.

The editing leaves a lot to be desired as the camera cuts are abrupt and back up the narrative that simply glazes through from one set piece to the next.

There are far too many loose ends that don’t make sense by the final episode and very little is done to even explain them in any way. It is unclear how Mo ended up in prison and what ritual Akilo went through, and Tlotlo also had a vague progression to his story.

The tone of the series is dull and doesn’t rely enough on the crime aspect. The heist feels way too elaborate and it isn’t until much later that the audience realises what is actually happening.

Verdict

Season 2 of Kings of Jo’burg is a disappointing follow up in the series with far too many deficiencies. With 2 extra episodes compared to the first, the series just prolongs the suffering of the audience as it trudges to the finish line.