I really enjoyed the first volume of Netflix’s Love, Death + Robots, though that’s not to say that there weren’t problems.

The biggest being that it consisted of 18(!) episodes, which inevitably means that you’re going to get a few clunkers like When the Yoghurt Took Over and Alternate Histories.

Some were okay: The Witness and Ice Age (the latter which I’ve seen variations of before) Shape-Shifters, Lucky 13, The Dump, Blind Spot and The Secret War.

A few were really good: Sucker of Souls, Suits, Three Robots and Sonnie’s Edge.

And two, Zima Blue and Fish Night, were remarkable.

It’s just too much. An anthology series is only as good as the weakest story (though Zima Blue and Fish Night were so good they countered that truism).

The second volume is significantly shorter than first, eight episodes compared to 18, and is the better for it and while there’re fewer remarkable stories this time around there’re also no misfires, which works better.

By my reckoning the best story was All Through the House (an interesting twist on the Santa Claus story and would have been perfect if not for the ending, which was unnecessary), followed by Automated Customer Service, The Tall Grass, Ice, Snow in the Desert, Pop Squad, Life Hutch and The Drowned Giant.

The thing is that the stories offer a thematic variety that makes them all work, just in slightly different ways (which is a sign of a well-done anthology).

It’s worth mentioning that Life Hutch (coincidentally, I assume) borrows some crucial elements from Red Planet (2000), which is…interesting?

Less stories likely had a lot to do with why they resonated as well as they did, which is a good thing.