Being an anthology series, Book 2 of Infinity Train takes place with an entirely new cast and has an entirely new story. However, it doesn't lose the magic that made the first book great, rather it's actually better, with a strong protagonist and an added dose of intensity.
Infinity Train's second book revolves around Mirror Tulip (who I'll refer to as Lake since that's the name she chooses by the end of the season), as she tries to help a person named Jesse leave the train while evading the Reflection Police. Tulip was an alright protagonist for Book 1, but Lake was so much more compelling. While the train itself had less mysteries, the question of how she could escape the train kept me intrigued. I also really liked the Reflection Police as villains, every time they appeared, the show turned intense really fast. But what I especially loved was her conflict about trying to become her own person separate from Tulip and the Flecs, it's one of the first time I see a character try to figure out their identity to this much of an extent. The second half of the season is even better as Lake really starts to doubt herself thanks to the police and the fact that she can't leave the train through the usual portal, yet she still continue to assert that she is her own person and she will find a way to get off the train regardless, she's just such a good character!
As for the other characters, I'm don't think I like them as much as One-One and Atticus, but they're pretty good too. Jesse was a bit annoying at first, but the more I got to know him, the more likable he became (Lake had the same opinion in the show, so I think that was probably intended). He was a very different character than Tulip, with a different conflict about being As for Alan Dracula, he wasn't nearly as good as Atticus, but his shapeshifting antics got a giggle out of me more often than not. As for the train itself, the cars this time around were really unique at times, like the hand-drawn map car and the hilariously blunt "kick the Toad" car. The latter half of the season also gives us tons of neat lore about how the memories are extracted for the tapes and how the numbers are printed, but the best new piece of lore was the introduction of the Apex, a group of delinquent humans that want the highest number they can get and hate those who don't have numbers, called "nulls". They're not only a cool piece of lore, but a great way for Lake to confront the fact that she doesn't have a number and for Jesse to deal with his past faults.
Once again, most of the season was great, but these episodes were the highlight:
The Toad Car: This was the first excellent episode of the season because it finally stuck Jesse and Lake in a room together and had them actually try to get to know each other. The looming threat of the Reflection Police outside the car and the lack of trust that Jesse and Lake had for each other made it a really tense episode, but the "kick the Toad" joke added a good amount of levity.
The Mall Car: Knowing what we know about the Infinity Train at this point, the goal of the Apex seems so bizarre, but that's what makes them so fascinating. I already mentioned how this storyline benefits the story arcs for both Lake and Jesse, but what I especially love is the "Ball Pit Car"-esque downer ending which has Jesse forced to leave Lake at the mercy of the Reflection Police. The Mall Car was an excellent episode that kicked off the nearly flawless final stretch of the season.
The Wasteland: Easily the best episode of the series thus far, The Wasteland actually brings Lake outside of the train for most of its runtime, and it's weird, as we learn that you can't walk too far away from the train without it suddenly pulling you back. We also get the climactic confrontation between her and Mace where he gets her to doubt whether or not she's an actual person only to be killed off in the most brutal scene of the whole show.
The Tape Car: The Wasteland alone would have made this season better than the first, but the sheer lore dump that is The Tape Car was nearly as impressive. I did not expect to learn nearly as much about how the train works as I did, but the reveals of how the tapes and numbers are formed were so cool. Lake's breakdown after not getting a number was absolutely heartbreaking and One-One's return in the Steward suit was an exciting hook for the finale. We even get Alan actually developing and helping out for a change, and it's great!
The Number Car: I wouldn't say this finale was as good or as thoroughly surprising as the first season's, but it was definitely cathartic. Jesse returning to the train was a genuine surprise because I didn't think it was possible, but it ended up causing a hilarious and terrifying paradox that implies that there are some serious flaws with the way the train was programmed. The final battle with Sieve was intense, and Lake finding a clever way to leave was satisfying. And of course, this is the episode where Lake decides her name, a perfect resolution for one of the best characters I've seen in quite a while.
Overall, while it lacks the freshness and quirkiness of the first book, Book 2 of Infinity Train was generally a marked improvement with an amazing protagonist, an incredibly second half, some really neat cars and train lore, and a general sense of intensity.
5/5 Stars
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