REVIEW: Prank Encounters Season Two

 REVIEW: Prank Encounters Season Two

Lately I finished Prank Encounters' second season, which overall I found just as enjoyable as the first (the review of the first season can be found here). You can find my thoughts on each episode of the second season below:

These Walls Can Talk

This prank has such an interesting storyline that it honestly could be a feature film in its own right. It concerns a grand house which its owner Eleanor (Bonny Breuer) left to her daughter-in-law Nikki (Nikki McKenzie). However Nikki is undergoing a tricky divorce with her husband Todd (Henry Dittman), which leads to her placing it on the market. With many generations of Todd's family buried underneath as a part of a crazy tradition, and many supernatural happenings, it doesn't seem the ideal property to purchase... 

Special mention has to go to Henry Dittman with this episode, who does an absolutely stellar job in his brief appearance as Todd. He gives a creepy and sinister performance that really sells the crazy nature of the later familial ritual. The two unsuspecting members of the public - security installer Alyria and realtor assistant Keila - are fantastic personalities, and their reactions are very entertaining to watch. A particular highlight is when Alyria is caught on camera talking to herself; a bizarre moment that sells that these are very human reactions to crazy situations.

Missing Missing Link

 I love the heightened premise of this one. It concerns a professor called Doctor Ivan (Sven Holmberg) who has made this great scientific discovery which he claims will 'change evolution forever', and has had it frozen at a cryogenic facility. This prehistoric 'missing link' of the title has to be kept at a fixed temperature - and so danger strikes, as the cryo-box it is placed inside grows too warm. It's a really fun and effective supernatural storyline, which works well as a structure for the pranks to take place. 

The unsuspecting civilians this week are cryogenic facility assistant Kandacy and professor assistant Brian. Kandacy in particular made me laugh a lot, because she seemed to believe anything - even Darryl's (David Storrs) claim that DVDs are frozen before they are sold to the public! These sort of members of the public are always the best to watch, because they make for great entertainment.

Spider Mansion

This episode was like Spider-Man's origin story gone wrong. It concerns Mr. Timms (Henry Dittman), a guy who collects various artefacts for a museum and holds them in his mansion; he's just returned from a trip to Chile, and inadvertently brought back a bunch of venomous spiders in a crate containing his latest find. One of these said spiders has since bitten him, and having been poisoned by the bite he has merely hours to live. It's a really neat horror take on the 'radioactive spider' plotline that we are all extremely familiar with, in the context of a hidden camera pranks show.

This week it's PR assistant Kierra and bug exterminator assistant Bennett being pranked, and it's the latter of the two that really makes this a memorable instalment. The guy admits early on that he has a serious fear of spiders, making him the perfect target for a prank like this, and he seems genuinely terrified throughout. This is probably the first time I have ever seen anybody on a prank show actually get so scared that they run off, and it just goes to show the painstaking amount of work and detail that goes into making these pranks feel as lifelike and authentic as possible, despite of the supernatural goings-on. 

Henry Dittman also does an amazing job in his role as Mr Timms. He carries the presence of someone with immense wealth, and when he makes the transformation into the human/spider mutation at the end - which feels very reminiscent of The Fly - it has a very unsettling edge to it.  

Mind Field

This one was a lighter prank compared to some of the others featured on the show, but I appreciated the more heightened comedic style. It concerns an inventor (Henry Dittman) who has invented a mind reading device called the Brain Wake; he claims to be seeking investment from ThinkTank investor Jerry Sackoff (Dan Sachoff), but the truth reveals some more personal motivations. 

It's much more daft than your average Prank Encounters episodes, but it had some moments that genuinely made me chuckle, such as Jerry's constant dismissal of his team's ideas in favour of those suggested by his assistant Shay being pranked, and the inventor completely fluffing his pitch to Jerry and the investing team, forcing the other unsuspecting member of the public Lorenzo to take over. It's certainly wildly different from the previous episode, which saw one of the pair being pranked get so scared that they tried to flee the location. 

Mist Demeanor

This one reminded me a little of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror inside out fog combined with the dimension crossing of Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. It concerns this sinister fog that is being emitted from a chemicals company called CRT, , and which is effecting a local warehouse supply of fruit and veg. It's a really inventive narrative involving mutated food and mists from another dimension. 

A warehouse worker named Locke and a brand ambassador called Mercedes are the two unsuspecting members , and which is effecting a local warehouse supply of fruit and veg. It's a really inventive narrative involving mutated food and mists from another dimension. 

A warehouse worker named Locke and a brand ambassador called Mercedes are the two unsuspecting members Jay's (Sven Holmberg) gills look very convincing, which I'm sure will have contributed significantly to how much these pranks are believed by those who are being set up.

Re-Face Fears

This one is a highly ambitious prank, being a sequel to an episode in the previous season. There's a very real danger here that those being pranked will remember the events from the previous instalment, but they pull it off - and in spectacular fashion, with great performances all around.

The unsuspecting members of the public this week are interior design decorator Kamryn and private investigator assistant A.J., and their reaction is a little more muted compared to past people who have been pranked. fashion, with great performances all around.

The unsuspecting members of the public this week are interior design decorator Kamryn and private investigator assistant A.J., and their reaction is a little more muted compared to past people who have been pranked. 

Graveyard Shift

This prank concerns unsuspecting members of the public, construction worker Taylor and and historical assistant Emily, working on the excavation of an ancient burial ground, which accidentally awakens a cult of witches. It's a little Time Team meets Doctor Who, which is not a bad thing at all. It shows a crazy amount of imagination and creativity involved in the production, which is something that should always be applauded.

The costume and make-up by  Jose Luis Ramos Jr. and Beth Pilgreen in particular is incredible; their work really makes the witches appear so believable and realistic. It's truly top level behind the scenes artistry, breathing life into the world of this prank that makes it feel lived in.

What are your thoughts on Prank Encounters' second season? Let me know in the comments.