Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared season 2 is a surreal comedy horror series. It is a sequel to the original YouTube series of the same name. Each episode starts out like a children’s tv show using puppets like Sesame Street. From this the show satirises kids TV programming by combining this with horror and graphic violence. As a bit fan of the original YouTube series, I am pleased to say this series is as good as the first funny, weird, dark, and surreal as ever.
The direction is the series is great. The mood of the series carry’s over from the YouTube original show with the perfect balance of comedy in the first half of the episode and horror in the second half. All of which is wrapped up in a nightmare. The style has very much carried on with the primary setting being a kid’s TV show with three puppet characters, with simple life lessons being warped and distorted resulting in a disturbing meaning to the episodes complemented by violent horror imagery.
The acting in the show is good. Baker Terry does a great job as both the Yellow Guy and the Duck. The way he can shift between a dumb sounding one for the yellow guy and the high-pitched voice of the duck really shows of his range. Joseph Pelling also does a great job as the Red Guy. He really sells his monotone voice as a guy who is unenthusiastic and sick of everything.
The writing in the show is great. The way the series presents these childlike topics but slowly unravels their dark nature is amazing. This is a series with depth and an existential horror about life shown through the lens of not only a child’s TV show but also in each episode showcasing the dark underbelly of a simplistic concept.
The cinematography in the show is great. The series utilises a lot of interesting camera angles and movements throughout the series to showcasing the verity of the stories being told. This really helps with the nightmarish nature of what the series tying to portray.
The special effects in the show are great. The puppeteering is excellent and creative at the same time. The show also has a lot of different animation styles ranging from puppets to animation to live action and shows a unique style.
Overall, this second season of Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared is great and it’s good to see the show is still as weird and twisted as ever.