REVIEW: ‘Kleo Season 2’ Takes Everything Further

Kleo Season 2 is a German-language thriller on Netflix created by Hanno Hackfort, Richard Kropf, and Bob Konrad. Starring Jella Haase and Dimitrij Schaad, the show continues the adventures of Kleo Straud, a former Stasis assassin in Germany, after the fall of the Wall. Betrayed by everyone she loves, Kleo’s quest for revenge coincides with a plot that could threaten the whole world.

Kleo Season 2 has a format and premise similar to the first. Kleo sets out on individual missions in every chapter. At the core of many of them is that red suitcase that plagued her mind, although that lessens in relevance as the plot progresses. The plot occupies a point in time that is incredibly fragile and tentative. The Wall is down, and the two sides of Germany are beginning to reunify. But those from East Germany, brought up in socialism, are at odds with the capitalist society on the other side. That was the case previously, but in season 2 that discontent reaches a fever pitch.

The show can be slow, taking its time with the many plot threads opening at the start of the season. But each of those missions Kleo goes on slowly narrows the cast, and the final episode neatly wraps up those threads. Suddenly, carnage can erupt, and the pace can then be electric. The first half of the season, at least, can feel repetitive. The plot returns to fighting for that red suitcase, and characters that were believed dead reappear. But there is much more finality and closure towards the end of the six episodes. The twists within the thriller series continue, and the characters’ deaths are almost all sudden and surprising, executed ruthlessly.

Kleo Season 2 expands on many characters, bringing most of the cast back a year; the dialogue and performances are fantastic. At its core is Kleo (Haase), who is a phenomenal physical and dramatic actor. She can be funny and devastating, sometimes switching between the two in an instant. She can be glamorous while also being personable and vulnerable. She has an intense stare that can contain both mischief and mania.

This edition presents much more of a love story for Kleo and other members of her supporting cast. It may have been seen that most people in Kleo’s backstory were wiped out in the first season, but the six episodes of season 2 get to be even more personal. The show explores her family history, not just her military service. This is an example of the deeper investigation all of the characters get.

By Kleo’s side, sometimes unwillingly, is Sven (Schaad), the goofy former police officer who spent the previous season hunting her down. The relationship between the two is tense and often arduous, ranging from sincere to silly. And Thilo, Kleo’s housemate, is given one of the most profound story arcs of the whole cast. Consistently spaced out due to a massive reliance on drugs, he finds someone who makes him question everything, taking him to outer space and often threatening to bring him back down to Earth.

The humor in Kleo Season 2 is strange but captivating. It can be sadistic, almost pitch black, with so much chaos around the violence and romance. Nearly every character’s training creates an ambivalence to pain and violence. The ridiculous nature of the plot is exposed through Sven, who is presented as an entry character into the world of assassins.

Also returning for this season is Uwe (Vincent Redetzki), a Stazi assassin who loves death and killing. He is utterly insane, often prone to outbursts of slaughter. He and Kleo are not too dissimilar in their personalities, but Kleo has much more care and affection towards those she cares about. The heroes can find comfort in each other when going through severe humiliation. After Sven’s groveling and Thilo’s most inebriated ramblings, the show can be ultimately sweet and hopeful.

The show’s production is impeccable, perfectly capturing the personality of Germany after the fall of the Wall. In season 2, Kleo sees the assassin travel to other parts of the continent, not just her homeland. Belgrade and Moscow both feature critical locations in Europe at the time. The Soviet buildings are brutal yet beautiful. The sets are almost all practical, placing the present-day actors among history and embracing the past. Where the locations can look beige and dull, the cars and fashion have vibrant personalities. Kleo is often found in bright and vibrant colors, drawing attention to her brilliance.

One of the most prominent aspects of Season 1 was Kleo’s disguises, which continue into this chapter. Haase’s ability to transform entirely depending on what she’s wearing is part of her charm. When she slips into a costume and wig, she can even fool the audience into believing she’s someone else. The costumes are perfect for the time period, especially the military uniforms.

The sound and music are terrific, too. It may not be picked up when viewed with specific dubs, but when watching in the default German, the language changes frequently. It is not just German spoken, with characters often talking in their native tongues. Agents from the KGB are talking in Russian, whilst the head of the CIA contingent in Berlin slips in and out of English. The songs are also multinational. It created connectivity across the nations, suddenly becoming more available when the Berlin Wall fell. However, it is also an example of how many different parties sought to get involved in the lives of Germans as the country reunified.

Kleo Season 2 leans on its best features. The show uses what made it shine in the first season and replicates it again. And whilst it uses the same characters and the plot concept to get the story moving, the development does move forward. The writers are excellent at closing threads and opening new ones. There is an ensemble cast, but Haase is the delightful star of it all. She stands out among the mania of many other figures around her, often the most calm person in the room.

Whilst the audience may be more used to the twists and turns the storytelling takes, this second season further escalates the drama and the brutality. It’s a tale of Germany and the entire world and how those within it made sense of the rapid changes. Although there are hints at a third season, there is enough closure within this second chapter for Kleo to feel satisfied.

Kleo Season 2 is available now on Netflix.