WGN’s Manhattan is clearly a great period drama since Madmen. In season 2, three new cast members are introduced. William Petersen plays Col. Emmett Darrow, who is not a nice guy. Mamie Gummer plays Nora, who is also very dark, and then Neve Campbell, who plays Kitty Oppenheimer.

If you watched season 1, then you might be bothered by the fact that Frank Winter, played by John Benjamin Hickey, doesn’t have as much screen time in season 2 as in season 1 because the story follows the other main characters more this time around.

The opening episode is a little confusing because it opens 45 minutes before the season finale and then flashes back to a year before the night they test the bomb. I had a hard time following the time frame, but it does smooth out, hopefully.

More backstory is given to each character, which makes the season 2 more interesting, and the acting is still strong and impressive.  The history during this time is really interesting with the music and some authenticity to the clothes.  If you are sharp, you might notice some production flaws with modern pops here and there or modern electric wires not fully erased out of the film.

All in all, Manhattan has a hard message as a social commentary. The Cold War existed, and these people were a large part of it.