For me, once I saw season one, season two was sort of unnecessary (of course, there is nothing necessary about watching TV). For me, the stunning part of this show was the concept of the game, the social commentary of the series. Season two was more about entertainment, but the message had already been delivered. I did watch the whole season, but actually skipped over some parts because they didn't add anything to my understanding, and they were brutal. I almost felt like a voyeur, watching suffering for no purpose.

Season 3 for sure is essential because of the way season 2 ended. Cliff hanger of all cliff hangers. Because of the brutal realism in this series, one has to wonder if this will be a grim conclusion. I hope not. The scene with the homeless person at the end of season one seems to foreshadow a hopeful conclusion to the whole series.

Great review...I'll have to watch Mufasa, though I have no children to coral to watch the show with me :))