Twisted Metal Season 2 Episode 1, 2 and 3 Recap: Race Through the Walls

The second season of Peacock’s ‘Twisted Metal’ follows John Doe hitting the road once again, this time to participate in a mysterious but enticing tournament. This also doubles as a battle royale, concentrating all the allure and danger of the world outside the walls into a single race. Here, the protagonist is reunited with old friends and foes, with more secrets from his past coming to light. The previous season ended with John completing his mission and earning a permanent stay in the walled city of New San Francisco. This comes at the cost of saying goodbye to Quiet, who has become a key element in his life. As such, the first three episodes of season 2, titled ‘PRSRPNT,’ ‘DOLF4C3,’ and ‘T3STDRV,’ continue John’s journey in this post-apocalyptic world. SPOILERS AHEAD.

George Finds Himself Stuck Inside the Walls

The episode begins with a flashback to 1998, when sisters Kelly and Raven attend a house party. The latter is a tarot aficionado and chooses to stir trouble, with Kelly drawing satanic symbols all over the rooms before hiding on the rooftop. She accidentally slips and hits her head, falling straight into the pool. Raven watches in panic as the scene jumps back to the present, with her older self overlooking John Doe’s racecourse training. As explained in the previous season finale, John is undergoing intense training for an upcoming racing event organized by Calypso. However, the protagonist’s mind wavers elsewhere, back to his life outside the walls. When he is not preparing for the grand event, John is a pizza deliveryman, always strictly guarded by Raven’s men.

Outside the walls, a pharmaceutical production facility’s activity is raided by the infamous Doll Gang, led by Dollface. When the facility’s owner angrily points out how their actions disrupt services in the cities, Dollface retorts by bringing up the oppression the outsiders endure. With this, she torches his face, before looting everything of worth and returning to their base. Elsewhere, Sweet Tooth continues his rampage, but this time, with an accomplice: Stu. The serial killer teaches his new friend how to kill and maim people, and the latter seems less than eager. When one of their victims refers to Sweet Tooth as Big Baby, another famous killer in the region, Sweet Tooth loses his cool and vows to kill his contender and take the title of the most fearsome vulture.

News of The Racing Tournament Spreads Like Wildfire

The Doll Gang returns to its base, and with the masks off, we learn that one of their members is Quiet. Dollface announces her new plan: to blow up one of the city walls to show their strength and rebellious spirit. However, Quiet seems unsure of the lives that will be sacrificed in this mission. Here, we learn that the two women have partnered due to their mutual connection, John, who is revealed to be Dollface’s long-lost brother. Sweet Tooth’s adventures continue, with him taking on Big Baby and his old mother, before learning that they mistook him for Trash Man, an even more infamous serial killer. This further infuriates Sweet Tooth, who, along with Stu, sets out for his next target. Meanwhile, John tries to escape numerous times, whether by climbing the wall or throwing off his guards, but always finds himself back in the racing simulator.

Frustrated by his attempts, Raven grounds him before aggressively proclaiming that he will help her bring Kelly back. With all his contact with the outside world ceased, the protagonist spends his time in his childhood home, but cannot recall any memories of it. Reading children’s books day after day, he notices that his elder sister had charted out a way to leave the city using the underground sewage system. To enact this plan, he breaks into Raven’s facility, but just before his escape, he comes across a stationary ambulance, with Kelly inside, still comatose after the accident. John decides to leave her outside and drives away with the ambulance, but not before witnessing Calypso’s grand announcement of the big race that will take place in the week. Furthermore, he promises that the winner will be granted any wish they desire.

Waves of excitement spread across the world, with several drivers like John making their move. This includes Quiet, who realizes that if she wins the race, she can wish for all the walls across the world to be undone. She announces this plan to Dollface, who reluctantly agrees. Elsewhere, John’s exit earns him Raven’s fury, and soon a chase ensues between her forces and the protagonist. However, they are interrupted by the bold arrival of the Doll Gang, who make light work of the COO’s cars, and nearly do the same to John and the ambulance, before he is seen by Dollface, who immediately brings things to a halt. However, Ashley, an enthusiastic member of the Gang, rashly knocks the protagonist out cold, delaying his reunion with his sister.

The Rise of The Doll Gang Brings Hope to the Outside World

A flashback takes us ten years back, with Dollface, then known as Krista, making her way into a high-level gangster meeting along with a man named Crew. The leader of the meeting, Boxer, immediately pulls her out of the circle, forcing her to go into the women’s camp indoors. However, inside, she learns that the women handle the business end of things, whereas the men goof around and take a share of the money that belongs to the women. This irks Krista, who then rallies all of the women against the men and their oppressive practices, and the group wastes no time in killing the men and taking over their operations. This marks the beginning of the Doll Gang, which has now become one of the most notorious vulture convoys outside the walls, with Krista transforming into Dollface.

John wakes up chained to the bed, but his surprise quickly gives way to relief when he reunites with Quiet. She then introduces him to his sister, Krista, who tells him his real name is Lionel. The two try to connect, but John’s amnesia comes in the way, rendering him unable to feel any strong emotions regarding this. The protagonist’s attention then returns to Quiet, who shows him his former car, Evelyn, which has undergone some significant upgrades. John expresses his confusion about the suddenness of the reveal and how he is having difficulty processing the cascade of new developments, particularly his lover’s newfound commitment to her new team. We are given more information about the Doll Gang, which is comprised of women liberated from abusive institutions, joining hands with the express intent of evening the scales between insiders and outsiders.

John and Quiet Have a Racy Reunion

Meanwhile, John’s conversation with Quiet takes a serious turn when she mentions her participation in the upcoming racing tournament. The protagonist vehemently refuses the notion, citing how dangerous it is, with violent individuals and groups from all around taking part in this bloodthirsty battle royale. His lover, however, is resolute in her decision, and the two refuse to see eye to eye. While exiting the camp, Quiet notices that one of the girls is acting suspicious, and we soon learn that she is not a part of the Gang at all. Instead, she snuck in to steal various items, including a gun, before making an unassuming exit. Quiet decides to chain her to a nearby tree, mockingly leaving behind her hatchet to taunt the girl, who introduces herself as Mayhem.

John storms into his sister’s tent, urging her to stop Quiet from participating in the tournament. Krista responds that the latter is still a contender, and the only sure-shot way to get her off the list of candidates is to beat her in a race. John agrees and is joined by two more contenders, Ashley and Jeremy. Quiet also agrees to participate, and the stage is set for a preliminary showdown. The race starts rough, with Jeremy and Ashley being knocked out before long. When it eventually becomes a matchup between the two seasoned drivers, things get intense, with road flares and explosives constantly testing them to their limits. The race gets increasingly narrow, with Quiet barely squeezing out a victory, but crashes her car.

While John agrees to Quiet’s participation following his loss, there is a new problem at hand: Mayhem has escaped her chains. Quiet searches for her in the woods and is joined by the protagonist. When they find the girl, they are ambushed by two vultures dressed like cavepeople. Their attack is short-lived, as the protagonist duo quickly beats them down and secures Mayhem, bringing her back to the camp. Later that day, John has a heartfelt conversation with Quiet, admitting that he underestimated her, while still cautioning about the dangers of the tournament. In response, she invites him to participate in the race with her, and he readily agrees. With things settled, Krista begins the next stage of the preparation, which includes visiting Diesel City for high-end add-ons to their vehicles.

Krista and John Reignite Their Bond Amidst New Challenges

The scene then shifts to Blackfield Prison, where a man named Mr. Grimm receives a letter inviting him to come out and drive. Along with it, he finds his skull-marked helmet, signaling his return to the exhilarating life. Later, we see him visit the grave of his father, where he bludgeons a grave robber to death, before seemingly consuming his soul and personality, as expressed by him taking on the dead man’s voice. Grimm then digs through the grave and finds his buried motorcycle, which he rides off into the distance. The scene returns to John, who is en route to Diesel City with Quiet. When she urges him to try to reconnect with his sister, he expresses his hesitation. She cleverly forces him out of the vehicle, forcing him to hitch a ride with Krista instead.

Krista takes a detour to Millennium Drive-in, a nearby theatre, and commands the rest of her group to continue forward, with Jeremy and Ashley scouting for food. John expresses his confusion about her decision, but soon learns that the abandoned theatre was once his favourite place, as his family used to come here and watch movies, even letting him play with the parked car. Here, Krista tries her best to jog up his memories, recounting comic anecdotes and even whistling their old family tune, but to no effect. Instead, John grows paranoid about the location, citing the blood and destruction it has endured. Although Krista pays no heed, his hunch is half right, as unbeknownst to them, a figure is mysteriously keeping watch.

Elsewhere, Quiet notices that someone is hiding inside her car’s trunk. This person turns out to be none other than Mayhem, who quickly makes up another excuse, explaining that she is the best driver in the region. Although Quiet is quick to call out her lies, she gives the teen a shot at the vehicle, knowing she won’t be able to drive it. With this, their dynamic gradually shifts, with the seasoned veteran teaching Mayhem not just how to drive the car, but how to do so in pressing situations. In the meantime, the latter desperately tries to bond with Quiet, but fails to find any footing. This failure continues in her repeated inability to reverse the car in a perfect curve, and Quiet makes her go through the drill repeatedly to ace the experience of driving in the wild, unkempt regions.

Axel Causes Trouble for the Sibling Duo

Things go south for Krista and John when the drive-in mysteriously finds itself barricaded by electrical fences. Explosions light up the numerous abandoned cars, forcing the duo to take cover. At this point, they come across what appears to be a human-car hybrid. A closer look reveals a man driving a mechanical platform connected to large tires, which he maneuvers with his arms. When their eyes meet, the man begins a barrage of bullets, forcing the duo into a corner. Although John bravely takes a shot at the man, the bullet deflects and ends up grazing Krista’s cheek. They rush to hide inside an abandoned vehicle, narrowly avoiding the mysterious man’s line of sight. Later, they exit to find him in pain, guzzling diesel and slowly falling asleep.

Sensing their chance, John and Krista make their way into the building, hoping to turn down the electric fence and make their exit. However, inside, they find a laboratory full of experiments resembling the augmentation done on the man outside. Out of nowhere, the scientist responsible for all of this ambushes the duo, holding Krista at knifepoint. He explains that the man outside, named Axel, is his latest creation, but still a step too short from achieving a true synthesis between human and vehicle. Not giving him a chance to finish, the two launch their counterattack, with Krista throwing the scientist out of the building, where he falls to his death. With this, they realize that Axel is also a victim, and make peace with him before all three of them leave the compound.

Meanwhile, more trouble brews at a little distance, with Jeremy and Ashley being attacked by Mr. Grimm, who is riding a motorbike. Quiet and Mayhem witness Jeremy’s death and see Grimm’s characteristic ability to consume souls. When he makes them their next target, Mayhem rushes the car away, finally nailing the reverse-curve maneuver. This doesn’t seem enough, as Grimm quickly gives chase, with the cat and mouse chase only ending with the arrival of Axel, who challenges Grimm head-on. With the fight behind them, Quiet and her protege make their way to John and Krista, announcing the demise of their teammates. Ashley and Jeremy are ceremoniously buried, with Krista vowing to carry their spirits forward. With this, the team shrinks to four members, who make their way to Diesel City to steal the best automobile upgrades they have to offer.