The wait between Making It episodes is much shorter in its sophomore season.
*Spoilers for Making It episodes 1-4 already aired*
Sadly, four contestants have already exited the competition in Making It season 2. We won’t get to see any more of Aspen’s romantic inspirations, Jamie’s science tricks, Ashley’s elegant woodworking or Matt’s island vibe competing for the grand prize.
Wait, Making It season 2 just premiered on Monday and four contestants have already left? That’s right. The new season of Making It is compressed over 2 weeks with episodes 1-4 airing in week 1 and episodes 5-7 arriving in week 2. The finale episode will be a 2 hour event.
It seems odd to already be talking about the finale, but it is actually less than a week away. We quickly met all 10 contestants and have hardly had a chance to get to know them before almost half have exited.
Saying goodbye
As judges, Dayna Isom Johnson and Simon Doonan have the very difficult decision of determining which contestant is cut each episode. Jovial hosts Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman express absolutely no desire to be a part of the judging. Those two are all about support and encouragement (and, of course, the crafting puns!)
Dayna and Simon have many lovely things to say about the contestants’ work, but I do not envy the part where they have to critique pieces as well. As heartwarming and uplifting as the competition is, they do not give out participation awards – it’s still a contest.
Familiar format
While the schedule has changed, the format has not. In each episode contestants are challenged with both a “Faster” (shorter) and “Master” (longer) craft based on the day’s theme. Timing is important. If a contestant struggles to complete their projects, it typically puts them closer to the chopping block.
As was also the case in season 1, contestants are generally happy to chip in and help fellow contestants who are long on project but short on time. This is one of the most endearing aspects of the show.
To trend or not to trend
Uniqueness seems to be valued by judges Dayna and Simon. Personally, I think a classic piece of art can be completely stunning. I don’t think you should have to be different for different’s sake.
Dayna is the trend expert for Etsy. We have seen critiques on both sides of the trend spectrum. Sometimes projects are down-voted for being typical of something that is already popular. On other occasions, crafts are praised for being on trend.
Maybe it comes down to the difference between trending and overdone. How do you know which is which? Makers are a passionate lot, so maybe the best way is to go with your heart.
Careful what you wish for
On one hand, being able to watch Making It three or four nights in a row is fantastic. We get more crafting inspiration in a shorter amount of time. But do we really?
Personally, I found that the weekly format in season 1 gave me more time to savor the projects in each episode. It gave viewers the opportunity to swap opinions on social media and chat about their favorite creations of the week. Heck, my mom and I were even able to produce a podcast each week to dissect each episode.
I want more time to marvel at Floyd’s shredding mailbox, more time to be completely impressed by Jessie and Justine’s “wok and roll” and, as weird as it sounds, more time to be sad about the person who leaves each episode.
Don’t get me wrong! I will gladly accept Making It any way and time that I can get it and hope there are many more seasons to come. I simply prefer to “let the paint dry” a little longer.
You LETTER not miss these amazing projects! pic.twitter.com/7x2Tk8MGNx
— Making It (@NBCMakingIt) December 4, 2019
Come back for the next round of Making It on NBC Monday December 9th at 10:00 pm ET. Don’t forget to “carve” out extra time for the 2 hour finale on December 11th.
Engage with other fans on social media using hashtag #MakingIt. Let us know in the comments your own thoughts on season 2.
Stay connected with So Many Shows:
Check out our interview with Making It season 1 winner Khiem Nguyen.