“Wanted” Season 3 picks up not too long after the events of Season 2's cliffhanger-esque ending. Chelsea is managing their new environment with equal parts strength and vulnerability. A determined Lola soon begins plotting their exit route. Where you would expect that to involve one thing, "Wanted" has other plans.
Rebecca Gibney and Geraldine Hakewill slip right back into the rhythm of Lola and Chelsea without missing a beat. Gibney plays the haunted Lola with every nuance imaginable. Her ability to flash, back in time by reliving it all in her eyes is a wonder to watch.
In those moments, she takes viewers with Lola without ever having to say a word. Gibney consistently portrays the multiple layers that compromise the character. She vests Lola with a sense of tenderness even when her words are harsh, while also conveying the grit to back them up.
Geraldine Hakewill also astounds. Season 3 proves to be an eventful for one for Chelsea, whose growth as a character since Season 1 is brilliantly highlighted in Season 3. Her quirky sensibilities remain untouched, allowing viewers to enjoy a dimensional character rarely seen these days. Hakewill plays all of these facets with aplomb, deftly playing Chelsea's wit, dignity, intelligence, and vibrant personality.
Gibney and Hakewill's chemistry remains one of the most organic on TV. When Lola and Chelsea's partnership is firing on all cylinders, they lift one's spirits to the moon. Making anytime the rails come off, a particularly heartbreaking development. Part of the duo's magic is their ability to make you laugh one moment and literally, cry the next.
“Wanted” is like that as a whole too. It breathes in those human highs and the lows. There is an undercurrent of sorrow that persists throughout its story, whether it be in the past or the present. Somehow, it never manages to lose its sense of humor. Like real life, you have to take the good with the bad and “Wanted” walks that line.
As it has done in its two previous seasons, it never takes the easy way out of plunging its characters into greater turmoil. Not because it relishes their torment, rather it knows there is no other way to honestly avoid it.
It is here "Wanted" remains as brave as the leads that take center stage in its story. Chelsea and Lola do not back down from a challenge, and neither does Season 3. Other shows would be tempted to fix things with a grandiose solution that borrows against reality. Not “Wanted.”
After two seasons of terrific villains, the series delivers again with an onslaught of loathsome characters that will have you rooting against them at every turn. A "good" villain is one of the critical components that the series has managed to nail consistently, and Season 3 wisely avoids messing with its winning formula.
There are some changes to it though as Stephen Peacocke's Josh is out of the equation for the first time. The regular from both of "Wanted's" previous seasons is missed. Without him, Season 3 gives Lola and Chelsea fewer outside resources, which helps charge their situation with heightened urgency. It is an aspect that serves the story well.
Unlike some successful shows that tend to go on without much story-driven reason, “Wanted” provides viewers with a bevy of sensible impetus to continue.
There is no cure-all to the situation Lola and Chelsea have been thrust into. While their life on the run is in many ways tragic, it never stops being a compelling on-screen adventure. Thankfully, “Wanted” is continuing to bring viewers along for the phenomenal ride.
Rating: 10/10
All three seasons of “Wanted” are currently streaming on Netflix.[Featured Image by Netflix]
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