REVIEW: ‘Rūrangi’ Maintains Its Heart and Soul In Season 2

Content Warning: Rūrangi and this review deal with suicide and homophobia

With strong characters grounded in real-life internal conflicts, the first season of Rūrangi is an easy tearjerker. Centered at the core of the series is the constant struggle between identity and shame, with these elements examined through both an LGBTQIA+ and Indigenous perspective. Now, the second season of the series has dropped on Hulu, where Rūrangi showrunners Max Currie and Briar Grace-Smith, and series writer Cole Meyer build on the groundwork laid in place last season and dig deep into the messy small-town politics of Rūrangi, New Zealand.

In Rūrangi Season 1, the story focuses on Caz Davis’s (Elz Carrad) return home to his rural hometown after up and leaving ten years prior. While he keeps his reasons for returning home close to his chest, it has been fueled by the shocking suicide of his lover. Suicide and mental health are topics this series isn’t afraid to address, and it shines a spotlight on this familiar reality that many LGBTQIA+ people struggle with. We see Caz grapple with the complications of his own mental health as he re-integrates himself into his conservative rural community, but more importantly, with his loved ones.

Caz’s journey in season two focuses on rebuilding his relationship with his father, creating a safety net for the LGBTQIA+ youth in the area, and dancing around the possibility of dating his ex-boyfriend, Jem (Liam Coleman). There are ups and downs with his mental health. While he can handle the increasingly public homophobia in his town, the harbinger of his deceased lover weighs on him greatly.

He is not without his support nor is he the only one with a journey this season. Āwhina Rose-Ashby’s Anahera provides support to Caz and Jem, even admitting to Caz he takes advantage of her kind nature. Her main storyline, though, focuses on her continued exploration of her Maori identity, where we also learn more about her family background and the burden youth carry as a result of their ancestors’ past actions. It is here where we see Anahera come into her own.

Serving as a contrast is Kaz’s father, Gerald (Cohen Holloway), who continues to reject the Maori side of his ancestry. While it isn’t explored as much, the rejection of heritage and the ripple effect of colonization is felt and reflected all throughout Rūrangi. We see this shown from the rejection of harmful farming practices to the long-lasting cultural influence of Christian Missionaries in the land (as manifested through the homophobia displayed). If we get a third season, would love to see how Gerald’s story evolves.

Aside from the all-too-real exploration of topics in Rūrangi Season 2, the performances from everyone in the cast felt natural and lived-in. I know I’m beating a dead horse here when I say this, but there is a distinct difference in quality when you have actual LGBTQIA+ people involved on camera and off. The writing crafts these fleshed-out characters, but the performances of the cast here keep everything grounded. These two elements together help create something special while also simultaneously kicking repeatedly in the feels.

The storyline, in particular, for Jem is one familiar to me. As a queer woman, the lifelong journey of my sexual orientation has been a conflicting one. With more knowledge sometimes comes more confusion. Introducing the blur of the gender binary and labels, and it can create an existential crisis of sorts. As we see a bit with Anahera this season, this journey never ends. It evolves, even when you’ve reached a solid understanding of self. Unlike Anahera and Caz, Jem is in the early part of his journey and doesn’t have the luxury of experiencing it in a fully safe and welcoming community. We experience the heavy psychological implications of these realizations in their rawest form, and I commend Liam Coleman for their performance and for letting us into Jem’s internal world.

Where Rūrangi Season 2 could have benefited would have been a longer episode count and not ending on its cliffhanger. With such a well-rounded group of characters, it’s hard to want to part from them. Five episodes per season isn’t enough time with them. Even more frustrating is the season’s cliffhanger. In an era where cancellations are the bread and butter of streaming services, ending Rūrangi Season 2 with a newfound mystery may not pay off the way the team intended. Had it ended with a more open ending like Season 1, perhaps anxieties wouldn’t spiral.

Regardless of finale gripes, Rūrangi Season 2 maintains the heart and soul of its characters without compromise. The characters we all grew to love and care for are expanded upon and explored in Season 2, where we see nuanced discussions surrounding a variety of hefty topics. Some of these topics are not easy, with mental health struggles being a focus throughout. However, the way that it is handled is responsible while also not cushioned. It is real. These struggles onscreen are real and to see them properly reflected onscreen is refreshing. Should the series get renewed for a third season, I can’t wait to see where our characters’ journeys go next.

You can find both seasons of Rūrangi now on Hulu.