Abhiroop Das
The second season of Peacock’s ‘Twisted Metal‘ follows the eponymous racing event, which sees participation from many eccentric and talented drivers. The reward promised by Calypso, of one’s deepest desire being fulfilled, lures in a confluence of several motivations and internal dilemmas. John Doe leads the story as the protagonist, and much of the narrative is about him finding family in the form of his near and dear ones. Beside him, there remains an undercurrent of characters, such as Raven, who have a similar set of desires. Introduced in the inaugural season as the COO of New San Francisco, Raven initially trains John to drive in her stead, but is eventually forced to take matters into her own hands. As a driver, she is one of the most aggressive players of the game and does not hesitate to employ any tactics necessary to secure a win, even when it threatens her own life. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Raven Might Not Have Survived the Deadly Race
Raven starts the Twisted Metal on the right foot, clearing most rounds with ease and climbing her way up to be a likely candidate for victory. While she is largely aided by technology in this pursuit, such as her car’s defensive shield and electric beams, her inherent grit and resolve play an equally important role. Moments before her seeming win, fate turns against her as she is hit by her own missile, which results in a harrowing car crash. At the same time, Raven does make it out of the vehicle, much of her body is charred, and the severity of her injuries means that she can no longer participate in the race. With her consciousness slipping with every breath, she hallucinates Kelly, the person she has been doing all this for in the first place. Before she can interact any further, the COO of New San Francisco collapses at last, signaling a grim fate.
At the start of the season, we get a glimpse into Raven’s past, which reveals her lingering guilt for indirectly causing Kelly’s accident. Back in the present, Raven drives the car with the sole aim of wishing for her friend’s recovery. However, the conclusion of the tournament highlights Calypso’s malevolent nature, in how he twists and contorts every participant’s wish and forces them to live with the consequence. Raven is no exception to this rule, and despite not winning, she ultimately does meet Kelly in good health. Given the fact that it is a mere hallucination, her true dream is never quite actualized. Nonetheless, she appears to have found internal peace in that moment, particularly due to the Kelly in her mind retaining her original warm, compassionate personality.
Raven’s Possible Return Can Spell Trouble for John and His Team
While Raven is defeated in the Twisted Metal race, her exact fate remains in the dark. It could be that she has merely lost consciousness and, much like Sweet Tooth, will be making an eventual return in due time. This, in turn, means that her quest to fix her best friend is far from over, and she might confront Calypso to make her desires come to life. The two have shared a bitter dynamic so far, with Calypso never shying away from using his supernatural powers to subdue her. This suggests that Raven knows some of Calypso’s secrets and might be the key to defeating him. To that end, we might see her collaborating with her former rival, John, who is out on a similar mission. Their goals are symbolically similar, and the parallels that might follow create room for strong dramatic moments.
On the other hand, Raven may become an enemy upon her survival, refusing to forget John’s betrayal. With the entire inside population out on war against the outsiders, the COO of New San Francisco might join the fight and personally lead the manhunters to their targets. Her recent experience in the heat of battle is bound to come in handy in such a scenario, and she can turn out to be an equally threatening opponent as Calypso. Raven has previously been implied to take part in the erasure of outsiders, as John learns that Napalm balls have been used in New San Francisco to brutally murder the innocent people who live on the other end of the walls. As such, Raven’s survival might also entail a complete tilt towards villainy, furthering her arc of losing her true self.
While both these possibilities are potent in their own right, they depend on Raven surviving the race in the first place. Although the scene is ambiguous, some of the visual and thematic cues strengthen the idea of her meeting her demise. Shortly after her collapse, the camera lingers on her tarot card, The Tower, which slowly burns away. In the first episode, Raven, as a teen, draws out the same card and brings up the idea of deceit. That, coupled with The Tower’s traditional meaning of sudden change and transformation, directly parallels her present predicament. However, the burning of the card puts her situation in a dark light. Furthermore, even if she survives and revives Kelly, the question of whether the latter will accept her friend in this corrupted state still remains.
Read More: Twisted Metal Season 3: What to Expect?
