Netflix ‘How to Ruin Love’ Season 2 Review - Lobola, Love, and Wedding Planners Who Should Be Banned

I went into How to Ruin Love Season 2 expecting a light romantic comedy with some familiar chaos, and what I got instead was a compact, energetic, sometimes brilliant, sometimes exhausting deep dive into how relationships implode when culture, ego, money, and unresolved family dynamics all show up at the same time. This season is loud, busy, emotionally sincere, occasionally overcooked, and very aware of what it is trying to be. It mostly succeeds, and when it doesn’t, it still fails in entertaining ways.

Zoleka and Kagiso remain the emotional core of the show, and that’s a relief, because everything else around them is designed to distract, interfere, or outright sabotage their peace. Zoleka has grown noticeably since the first season. She is still impulsive, still stubborn, but now those traits feel intentional rather than purely comedic. You can tell she genuinely wants this marriage to work, not just romantically but socially and culturally. Kagiso, meanwhile, continues to be the human embodiment of “I just want a quiet life,” which makes him the perfect victim for every escalating situation. His frustration feels earned, his confusion feels real, and his love for Zoleka is the one stable thing in a show that thrives on instability.

The central conflict this season revolves around lobola, and to the show’s credit, it treats the practice seriously even while mining it for comedy. The negotiations are not just about money or tradition; they are about control, pride, and who gets to define what marriage should look like. Zoleka’s grandfather, in particular, becomes a symbolic obstacle. He isn’t written as a villain so much as an immovable force, the kind of person who believes respect is proven through endurance tests and financial strain. This choice grounds the conflict in something real, even when the situations spiral into absurdity.

The pacing is aggressive. With only a few episodes to tell the story, the season wastes no time. Scenes move quickly, problems pile up, and resolutions sometimes arrive faster than they realistically should. This is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, the show never drags. On the other hand, some emotional beats don’t have enough space to fully land. There are moments when characters reconcile, forgive, or change their minds so quickly that it feels like the script is nudging them along instead of letting the growth happen naturally.

The supporting cast is a mixed bag in the best and worst ways. Beauty and Katlego bring chaotic energy that is often hilarious and occasionally overwhelming. Their presence ensures that no scene remains calm for long, which works beautifully for comedy but sometimes undercuts more serious moments. There’s also a subplot involving media attention and the idea of turning personal chaos into public entertainment. This angle is clever and timely, poking fun at how weddings have become performances rather than private milestones. Still, it sometimes feels like one complication too many, especially in a season already bursting at the seams.

From a technical standpoint, the show is solid. The direction keeps things moving without becoming visually frantic, and the camera work knows when to step back and let performances breathe. The settings feel lived-in rather than decorative, which helps sell the authenticity of family gatherings and tense negotiations. Editing is tight, occasionally too tight, but rarely confusing. The production understands that comedy relies on timing, and most jokes land because they are allowed to breathe just long enough.

Where the season stumbles most is tone management. The show oscillates between grounded emotional conflict and near-slapstick chaos, and while that contrast is intentional, it isn’t always balanced. Some scenes clearly want to say something meaningful about compromise, gender roles, and cultural expectations, only to be interrupted by exaggerated antics that dilute the impact. It’s not that the humor is bad; it’s that it sometimes arrives at the wrong moment. The show trusts noise and escalation a little more than it should.

That said, the writing deserves credit for refusing to flatten its characters into stereotypes. Even the most frustrating family members are given motivations that make sense within their worldview. No one wakes up intending to ruin the relationship; they just prioritize their values over everyone else’s comfort. That nuance elevates the show beyond a standard romantic comedy and gives it a surprising amount of emotional intelligence.

One of the season’s quiet strengths is how it depicts compromise. Not the neat, cinematic kind where everyone learns a lesson at the same time, but the messy version where people give a little, resent a little, and move forward anyway. Zoleka and Kagiso don’t “solve” their problems so much as survive them together, which feels honest. Their love is not portrayed as magical or transformative; it’s portrayed as persistent, which is far more convincing.

Still, I can’t pretend the season is flawless. Some jokes are repeated variations of the same misunderstanding. A few characters feel underused despite strong introductions. And the compressed runtime means the ending feels more functional than emotionally satisfying. You get closure, but not the kind that lingers. It’s the difference between finishing a meal full and finishing it satisfied.

Overall, How to Ruin Love Season 2 is a confident, chaotic continuation that understands its audience and mostly respects their intelligence. It’s funny without being cruel, culturally specific without being inaccessible, and self-aware without becoming smug. I laughed often, cringed occasionally, and stayed invested throughout. It may not deepen the story as much as it could have, but it delivers exactly what it promises: a sharp, entertaining look at how love gets complicated the moment everyone else gets involved. If nothing else, it will make you grateful for whatever version of relationship chaos you’re currently dealing with, because at least no one is negotiating cattle over it.

Final Score- [6/10]
Reviewed by - Anjali Sharma
Follow @AnjaliS54769166 on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times