Explained: Season 2
Season 2 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Explained Season 1.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 2 Progress Shield
Cults
Sep 26, 2019 · 23 min
How do cults lure people in and exert control? Learn a cult’s telltale signs, and how loneliness and life online makes indoctrination easier than ever.
Billionaires
Oct 3, 2019 · 16 min
There are more billionaires than ever. But how does this vast accumulation of wealth affect the world? Mark Cuban and Bernie Sanders offer insights.
Animal Intelligence
Oct 10, 2019 · 23 min
What goes on inside an animal's mind? Figuring out how they think and feel might just be the key to understanding our own place in the world.
Athleisure
Oct 17, 2019 · 20 min
It began with bloomers. Then came spandex. Now we sport leggings and other activewear everywhere. How did comfy, casual clothing go mainstream?
Coding
Oct 24, 2019 · 20 min
Computer code now controls how we live. But how did these programming languages evolve? And how can they be used to build a new and better world?
Pirates
Oct 31, 2019 · 24 min
In pop culture, pirates are often depicted as booty-looting rogues, but their history is far more complicated. See how they became enemies of humanity.
The Next Pandemic
Nov 7, 2019 · 16 min
If you're not worried about a looming global pandemic, you probably should be. Are we prepared for an outbreak? Bill Gates and other experts weigh in.
The Future of Meat
Nov 14, 2019 · 22 min
The planet's current rate of meat consumption is unprecedented -- and becoming unsustainable. In the future, will meat alternatives be the answer?
Beauty
Nov 21, 2019 · 23 min
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but what exactly makes things such as art and architecture aesthetically pleasing, and why do we like looking?
Diamonds
Nov 28, 2019 · 25 min
A diamond is forever. But why is that? Dig into how these mined pieces of carbon became both a status symbol and a sparkly sign of everlasting love.