Raising Dion, Season 1
In 2017, Netflix announced the adaptation of the Raising Dion comic book written by Dennis Liu and illustrated by Jason Piperberg. At the time, most people had no idea what it was about. However, with the backing of Michael B. Jordon as both an Executive Producer and as a supporting member of the initial cast, it garnered some attention. It came to fruition on NetFlix, October 4th, 2019 and was fairly well received. Part of that strength was the cast, led by Alisha Wainwright as Nicole Warren and young Ja’Siah Young as Dion. Within a few months after the show premiered, it was approved for an eight-episode second season.
Raising the FX Bar
While the production was in planning, Netflix brought aboard acclaimed FX supervisor Mark Kolpack, fresh from his seven-season run on Marvel’s Agents of Shield to handle the FX for the new season. This by itself gave me another reason to watch the 2nd Season. The first reason was I enjoyed the show, even though I was unfamiliar with the comic it was adapted from. Naturally, the 2nd Season production ran into the same roadblocks that others did during the COVID outbreak, so it was just recently released February 1st on Netflix. So, let’s see if Season 2 continued Season 1’s strong introduction.
Raising Dion Season 2
Two years have passed since the end of Season One and their defeat of the “Crooked Man” (Literally and Story wise). Young Dion is splitting his time between his school time and patrolling the neighborhood streets in his alter ego of Mind Mover. There are neighborhood bullies to thwart, trash cans that need closing and newspapers that haven’t been properly delivered. He does this under the watchful eyes of his school mates and fellow crime fighters Esperanza Jimenez (Sammi Haney) and Jonathan King (Gavin Munn) in the Triangle of Justice. But when he isn’t going to school or patrolling the morning streets, he is at Biona trying to learn how to better control his powers.
Working at Biona
He does this under the guidance of Tevin Wakefield (Rome Flynn). Tevin has the ability to produce powerful shields to protect himself and others, shoot them like projectiles, not to mention cat-like agility. During their time together, Tevin helps Dion to better understand his powers which are formidable. They also get along personally which is a good thing because Tevin has his eyes set on Dion’s mother. In the meantime, Tevin is also working with a teenage girl who is having troubles controlling her powers. Janelle Carr (Aubriana Davis) has been sent to Biona by her mother (Tracy Bonner) to somehow get a handle of her powers and stop destroying things. In time, with the help of Tevin and Dion’s mother Nicole, they begin to realize the scope of Janelle’s powers and what they really are.
The Return of the “Crooked Man”
Meanwhile, the young man who had “inherited” the crooked man powers has arrived. Brayden Mills (Griffin Robert Faulkner) is in Atlanta at the “Crooked Man’s” orders to destroy Dion. The only person he feels can threaten him. To do this, he needs an army. This is created through a sinkhole that evolved at the spot where Dion and his mother (along with an assist from his dad) defeated the “Crooked Man” in Season 1. Inside the hole, alien looking flowers are omitting green spores that infect anyone they contact and turn them into mindless overgrown zombies. All at the command of the “Crooked Man.”
Pat Returns
Speaking of the Crooked Man, its original vessel Pat Rollins (Jason Ritter), who was thought dead at the end of Season 1, has returned. This time, apparently without powers. Needless to say, when he shows up at Biona, he is not welcomed with open arms. Especially not by Nicole, since he had plans of killing Dion and anyone else who had superpowers. Pat is thus locked up at Biona, with Nicole keeping his presence secret from Dion. Meanwhile, they run every test they can think of to confirm Pat’s claims that he has no ill effects from “The Crooked Man” energy. But all Pat proclaims he wants to do is help them and somehow make amends for what he has done. Good luck with that Pat.
As one might expect, this all eventually leads to a confrontation once again between Dion, his mother and the Crooked Man. This time, with the assistance of Tevin and Janelle. Will Dion once again come out victorious? What will come of young Brayden? Is Pat’s situation as innocent as it seems? That’s why you should watch Raising Dion, Season 2…to find out what happens.
Thoughts
Raising Dion, Season 2 steps up their game in every way. Part of that is the freedom of not having to explain origins and relationships. This allows the writers to focus on the drama of the story and the evolution of the characters. Which they do with great success. By the time you are done, you will be like the rest of us and eagerly awaiting a Season 3. If it comes, it will be most interesting to see how the characters continue to evolve, especially as the young cast continues to age. But if Seasons One and Two are any indication, that evolution will continue to manifest itself in great acting performances. Speaking of acting…
Acting
Just as in Season 1, the acting in Season 2 continued to be first rate. Ja’Siah Young as Dion has honed his craft so much between the two seasons. His interactions between himself and Alisha Wainwright are at times heartbreaking. I’ve always felt there is skill in making tears believable, especially in a young actor. Ja’Siah has mastered it. In fact, all of the young actors held their own with Griffin Robert Faulkner as Brayden meeting the challenge that the role required (that was a whole lot of angry yelling) along with Aubriana Davis and of course Sammi Haney and Gavin Munn. We now know that Sammi can sing as well. Is there no end to her talents?
Not to be outdone, which wasn’t easy, the adults in the cast also brought it where acting was concerned. Alisha Wainwright had already proven her chops in Season one as had Jason Ritter. But the newcomers also interjected their abilities with Rome Flynn as Tevin, Tracy Bonner as Aubriana’s mother Simone and especially Jazmyn Simon as Kat, Nicole’s Sister. She ate up the screen whenever she appeared and was a “super” addition to the cast. Overall, just a tremendously acted season.
Visual FX
Just as the story and the acting took steps forward, so too did the visual effects. As I mentioned in the beginning, the bringing on board of Mark Kolpack basically guaranteed that the FX would live up to the hype. One only need see what he and his team accomplished with Agents of Shield to know that Raising Dion was in great hands. The visuals didn’t disappoint, especially whenever the “Crooked Man” appeared. Exciting stuff and added to a 2nd Season that improved on an impressive first season in every way. So, in summary, “a strong cast, story and improved visual FX made for an enjoyable Season 2.”
If you are a fan of superheroes and especially, great acting, you should check out Netflix’s Raising Dion. Both Seasons can be found on Netflix with hopefully Season 3 coming in the future.
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Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.