Even the best shows sometimes don't come into their own until they have more episodes under their belts. When a show's cast and writers get more comfortable and develop a rhythm, that's when the magic can really happen. For this reason, sometimes shows have 2nd seasons that are much better than their first one.
These Netflix shows, specifically, have 2nd seasons that are stronger than their debut seasons for many reasons, whether it's better characters, more detailed plotlines, or episodes that have better pacing.
You
You has been a fan favorite on Netflix, especially recently. However, the show made a lot of improvements from season 1 to season 2. In one of her best-ranked roles, Victoria Pedretti made her appearance in the 2nd season as Love Quinn, Joe's love interest and wife in season 3. Pedretti's impressive acting was the perfect thing to add more emotional depth to the show.
Love is much more interesting than Beck and has a lot more agency. She's an active character as opposed to a passive one, and that distinction makes her much more likable as a love interest, not to mention it adds more action and intrigue to the plot. When the audience can be more invested in the subject of Joe's attention, it makes for a more enjoyable season.
Stranger Things
Season 1 of the Netflix show that led to Millie Bobby Brown's breakout was successful, but the creators managed to improve on Stranger Things' already impressive story, acting, and special effects in season 2. The characters are more fleshed out, and there's the addition of crowd favorites like Billy and Max. Without as much focus on Eleven's identity and with her feeling more comfortable in her new world, there's more room in the story for a Big Bad villain and minor ones, like Billy and his dad.
According to a Vox article about the two seasons, season 1 had a tendency to build in plot points as a means of keeping the climax from happening too quickly, and season 2 fixed that problem really well. It also has a much better mix of solo drama and team-driven story than season 1.
Lucifer
Netflix's show about the Devil finding his place on Earth has a sizable glow-up from season 1 to season 2. For starters, there's a larger emphasis on the mythology surrounding Biblical characters and Lucifer's story. In the 1st season, Lucifer leaned more toward being a demon-themed procedural, and season 2 fixed that problem with more background on gods, demons, and angels.
Season 2 also delved deeper into Lucifer as a character, and he went from being a charming caricature of the Devil to a truly heartbreaking and empathetic character. A fan review on Bleeding Cool also noted that season 2 allowed Chloe to become more of a nuanced character, instead of just a foil to Lucifer.
The Umbrella Academy
Fans were excited to see the series inspired by the comics by My Chemical Romance frontman, Gerard Way. However, there were quite a few missteps the first season of the show took that were later much improved in the 2nd season.
According to Collider, one of the biggest fixes the show made was to its episode length. By cutting down on the length per episode, the plot felt more cohesive and tighter, pace-wise. By getting rid of unnecessary scenes that dragged out the show and made it feel disjointed, it allowed the action to feel more streamlined and captivating.
Bojack Horseman
The main strength of BoJack Horseman in later seasons was its capacity for emotional depth and dealing with serious topics like child stardom, depression, and substance abuse. But, it took a season of disjointed comedy to get there and the show started out with a campier, non-serious attitude about these issues before coming into its emotional powerhouse.
In a very detailed Reddit post, MusketRose went into depth about the many ways season 2 was leagues better, including giving the other characters a larger place in the story. They write, "it's no secret season 1 is about BoJack and everyone else is more of an accessory to his story before season 2 branches onto other characters' lives in more emotion and detail." From the 2nd season, Bojack moved beyond its titular character and focused on other characters and stories that were just as fascinating and interesting to watch.
Ozark
Although season 1 of Ozark was strong, the writers and production found a way to make season 2 even better in many ways. It seemed like the Byrde family might've been trapped a little, plotwise, with only the Snells and Del to deal with, but with the world of the show opening up, it gave the characters room to breathe and deal with new problems and villains.
An article on Netflix Life gave extra insight, positing that the show also paid homage to the intense fan support for Ruth, Ozark's most powerful character, by giving her a lot more screentime and a more involved role in the Byrdes' day-to-day life, thus making season 2 more compelling.
Outer Banks
There are many reasons each season of Netflix's Outer Banks is the best, but the show overall made a lot of strong changes for its most recent season that helped the show get much better. The biggest and best change the show made was transitioning from exposition-heavy storylines into actual plot development and action.
By giving the characters more to do instead of mainly world-building, the stakes of the show could get higher and, therefore, pull the viewers in more. First seasons of shows can oftentimes fall into the trap of doing too much exposition, but Outer Banks quickly broke that mold for season 2.
Locke & Key
Locke & Key's 1st season, according to a Thrillist article, seldom remembered to pay homage to its source material and was worse off for it. The show, based on a comic series, didn't have the dark horror edge that was present in the comics, and when it did, it felt rushed.
Season 2 of the show was much better in this regard. Additionally, it takes the very interesting element of the Riffel Rule and incorporates it into the story in compelling and interesting ways. They take the concept of forgetting magical keys and relate it to the trauma of growing up and losing childhood innocence.
Anne With An E
Whereas Locke & Key benefited from going back to the source material more in season 2, Anne with an E was better when it stepped away from the canonical story of "Anne Of Green Gables." While season 1 was slow-paced and mild in the way of stimulating plot, season 2 was much more lively with Anne's fiery Scorpio personality taking center stage.
An IndieWire piece talked about the significant improvements season 2 made, mentioning that adding new unwritten adventures to Anne's story was the season's biggest strength, in addition to making Anne more proactive and exploring the historical significance of the world at her time.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror's commentary on social media and technology with a bit of horror and sci-fi elements resulted in an immediate hit with critics and fans during its first season, but it definitely came into its own in its follow-up season. The first batch of episodes was a bit disjointed thematically, with the wildly jarring first episode about a politician and a pig.
Season 2 has some of the better episodes of the show, like "White Christmas," "White Bear," and "Be Right Back." The inner-season themes of heartbreak and guilt are a lot stronger than in season 1, and technology helps the plot instead of driving it forward. The show continued to improve as more seasons were written as well.