The latest trailer for AMC’s The Terror: Infamy, shows the newest setting for the sophomore season of the cable network’s horror anthology and offers a better idea of what the story will entail. The Terror is the latest in series on television to seemingly start out with the intention of being a one-and-done limited series, only to garner enough viewership and critical acclaim to be find itself continued, as either an ongoing series or, in this case, an anthology. And while AMC’s horror series is quite a bit different than, say, HBO’s one-time limited series Big Little Lies, it nonetheless suggests a potential trend in how series get green-lit for more than one season.
Unlike the Reese Witherspoon-starring domestic drama, which went ahead with a straightforward second season, the notion of an anthology is undoubtedly the best case scenario for The Terror. Not only did season 1 fulfill its obligations as an adaptation of the novel of the same from author Dan Simmons, this format allows the series to go anywhere in the world, and tell any kind of story its creators can think up. And with the anticipated second season delving into the shame of U.S. interment camps during World War II, it would seem Infamy will be fascinating test case for just how creative the show can get with an otherwise abstract title (and concept) like “terror”.
As it turns out, the series and its creators are sticking with the notion of historical fiction with more than a hint of the supernatural, as they move the newest storyline into a Japanese interment camp, one that happens to have a frightening entity in it as well. Take a look at the full trailer and brief synopsis for The Terror: Infamy below:
“Featuring a cast and crew with deep-rooted connections to WWII, the internment of Japanese Americans and the aftermath in Hiroshima, “The Terror: Infamy” centers on a series of bizarre deaths that haunt a Japanese American community, and a young man's journey to understand and combat the malevolent entity responsible.”
The new trailer doesn’t beat around the bush with regard to the entity haunting those unjustly relocated to the camp. Unlike the first season, which mostly teased a supernatural element before unleashing it outright, Infamy seems intent on focusing on the shape-shifting spirit from the get-go. How that will affect the reception to the series remains to be seen, but seeing the degree to which The Terror aims to differentiate itself from the season that came before is reason enough to be encouraged for the series’ return.
The Terror: Infamy premieres Monday, August 12 @9pm on AMC.