Ice Road Truckers Season 2 DVD Review

Season two of Ice Road Truckers is now available on DVD. This season brought us new scenery, several new faces, and the same amount of drama and adventure that we saw in season one. In a new location, the drivers face the pressure and danger of driving across the frozen ice to haul their loads. In this season, the ice road crosses the frozen Mackenzie River, and a frozen portion of the Arctic Ocean.

The new environment is harsher than what the drivers were exposed to in season one. They are actually working so far north that they are inside the Arctic Circle. The ice road traverses a one hundred and twenty mile stretch across the frozen ocean, bringing new challenges and dangers.

The driver Rick is surrounded by personal drama in season two. The competition of man versus machine that has going on between him and his eighteen-wheeler escalates. After sending his truck in for repairs so many times, and the increasing friction between Rick and the other drivers, he is finally fired.

I think that the drama can be a little bit too much at times. The reason that we have been drawn into the series is that it is a great escape from reality, which I feel is the purpose of TV anyway. Too much drama on the job, and the drivers talking about each other behind their backs, is a little bit too much like the real workplace.

On the other hand, season two brings us more background than the first, with the storyline revealing more about the local people and their customs, and the history of the area. This part of the series was underdeveloped in my opinion. It was introduced, but could have been more in-depth. There is always the next season though, and maybe that will be picked back up. We also learn more about how the ice roads are constructed this season.

There are several bonus features on the Season 2 DVD set of Ice Road Truckers. These include The Road to Season Two, which recaps the show's background to date. It is a good overview of season one if you missed it. Off the Ice: Season Two is a compilation of show clips. Other short features are About the Ice Road, Life in Northern Canada, Arctic Animals, Dangers of the Ice Road, and Meet the Truckers. A lot of these features could have been longer, but they are still interesting.