Knokke Off has too much melodrama, unbelievable plot twists and not an ounce of tension, but a lot of sex. After the enjoyment of season 1, I looked forward to season 2 with high expectations. Despite the popularity of the series, I personally found it a disappointment.
The first season offered an intriguing mix of guilty pleasure and murder mystery. New, young actors were given the opportunity to show their talents, and Pommelien Thijs proved that she could also act excellently in an adult series. That was not entirely unexpected, since she is known as a creative jack-of-all-trades. The problem with the second season, however, is that the screenwriters seemingly had little inspiration for a solid sequel. Since Melissa's sister's murder was solved at the end of last season, a new mystery was missing. Although Melissa is still looking for the body of her murdered sister, only Patrick Vandael – who is in a wheelchair, completely paralyzed and has little hope of recovery – knows where it is. So there are no solutions.
To fill in the plot holes, more and more emphasis is placed on sex – and more sex. Knokke Off thus descends into a cheap soap opera in which almost everyone cheats. Pommelien Thijs repeats her role as a bipolar scatterbrain and still cannot choose between her two lovers. Two new characters make their appearance: Bonmamie (Viviane De Muynck, Professor T.), Eleonore's mother-in-law, and her young caregiver/lover Thomas (Aimé Claeys, Onder Vuur). Bonmamie does not believe that her son fell down the stairs and begins to investigate the matter. In passing, she sidelines Eleonore financially, since Bonmamie is still in control of the family business. Thomas's role in the whole remains unclear for a long time, but he at least ensures that Bonmamie enjoys it.
The story seems aimless and some of the actors look a bit lost. Until the very last episode, in which everything is suddenly concluded at a rapid pace. The makers don't seem to be bothered by the huge holes in the screenplay. Even a cliffhanger is missing. It feels like they wanted to quickly film an uninspired sequel to keep up the momentum. Because the story ends abruptly, the door remains open for a third season.
That said, the story is more extravagant and the actors still perform excellently. Yet it remains a missed opportunity for a cast that has much more to offer. Is there still hope for a third season? Yes, because the series has now been extended. Hopefully the Vandael family will finally get a taste of their own medicine.
For those who appreciated the first season of Knokke Off for its mystery, season 2 may be disappointing. But if you like corny drama with a decadent edge, you will definitely get your money's worth.
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
