SPOILER ALERT! Fair warning, there are some spoilers ahead for Tron: Legacy.
A Tron animated series, you say? A story set in the Grid without the limitations of actors interacting with CGI special effects? Where could I obtain such rarified awesomeness for my eyes and ears?
Oh, it’s on Netflix? I, uh, well, thank you.
The animation style took a bit of getting used to. Legs and arms are very long, while torsos are compact. Hip movement in the female characters is a bit exaggerated, while the male characters move a little bit like spider man all the time. The style is definitely a nod to Aeon Flux, which is fun and disturbing all at the same time.
The story follows Beck, a mechanic, through Clu’s occupation of his city. We see his chafing and eventual resistance to the subjugation, with the help of a familiar face, Tron. He’s alive, if not well. He tutors Beck, with the goal that he can eventually pass the mantle of Tron on to a more capable, less terminally injured, program.
We know that the uprising cannot succeed, because we have seen the Grid after its failure. This story is told so well that knowing this doesn’t matter. I rooted for Beck and his friends, I got bummed at his failures, and I cared about Argon City and its fate. When they introduced repurposing, and gave the supreme nod to the original movie, I squeed. Tron was going to end up there, at some point, and be turned into Rinzler. I couldn’t wait for them to tear my heartstrings out one by one as it happened. I couldn’t wait to see what it did to Beck, and I was supremely interested in how Beck would eventually fail.
At the moment, I’m not sure I’ll be able to witness that. After the first season, Disney did not order any further episodes. They haven’t officially canceled the series, but they haven’t given the go-ahead for any more work. It’s in limbo in a way that I’ve not seen with a television show before. While I recognize that neither Disney nor the creative team are my bitches, I vehemently want to see more of this series. So I went looking, and I found something.
There’s a crowdfunding campaign to get a second season going. The goal listed is incorrect, they actually need 15,000 votes for the studio to acknowledge that it might be worth while. So, seriously, tell your friends. I want to see the story progress, and after watching the first season, you just might feel the same way.