You know that there's a Season 2 of Savage Beauty on the way to Netflix because you're so fleek you know things before the trend.
Now it's time to take a close look at the ingredients on the bottle before you push the pump dispenser:
This product was made by TVSA in a factory using one-on-one interviews with the show's stars and production designer on set.
INGREDIENTS
Nthati Moshesh and Dumisani Mbebe
They return as Grace and Don Bhengu, the protagonists who faced the consequences of their toxic skin lightening product in
Season 1.
Product description
In Season 2 they find themselves splintered both at home and at Bhengu Beauty after their relentless enemy Zinhle’s successful mission of destruction.
Instead of reuniting and moving through their tragic losses as a united family front, they're each going to set out to gain personal and professional power and control on their own, ruthless terms.
This leaves them vulnerable to attack by a new set of enemies who've returned to settle old scores and to gain control of Bhengu Beauty.
Active ingredient
Survivor-turned-avenger Zintle's back of course, reprised by Rosemary Zimu.
Directions for use
Apply and gently massage... oh wait, we haven't finished the ingredients yet. Read on...
SAFTA-winning production designer
The show's production designer Marna Heunis is a multi-SAFTA nominated and winning designer.
She's won SAFTAs for her work on Intersexions and Swartwater and she's been nominated
this year for her design on the first season of Savage Love.
Now she's bringing out the big guns...
Listing Jozi on steroids
Expect a more opulent Bhengu mansion on Season 2.
Also, new offices for Bhengu Beauty, Phila moves into a schmancy penthouse and Linda and Thando move to a new house.
Marna tells us that this upsizing of the world was at the forefront of the season's concept:
Marna: The first week we went back to the old mansion, and then there’s a whole change in the show, and we decided we needed to widen our world a little bit to take us onto a grander scale than what we were in the first season.
The whole season we've tried to elevate into a higher, bigger... opening up our world, so with the costumes, we’ve got a lot of once-offs. We’ve tried to elevate everything a little bit higher, but still trying to keep each character as they’ve been set out.
We’re frequenting quite a lot of restaurants, all the high end restaurants in Jo’burg.
We’re also going triple on the action vehicles that we’re using. Where before we were kind of in the Range Rover / Land Rover / Jaguar world, we’ve now stepped into Bentley and Porsche's.
Not tested on animals
More from Marna: We've got a nice new location we’ve given one of our new characters - a horse owner - as we felt that that’s something that hasn’t been portrayed yet in African shows.
That rich people do have horses, whether it’s throughbreds or racing horses, and that brought in a really nice production value and a different depth to the story and to the specific character.
She went on to tell us that the production has animal wranglers and Animal Anti-Cruelty on set when they're filming to ensure the animals are treated right.
WARNING: Bhengus in free fall
Abena Ayivor joins the cast this season as Motale, a big shot, head of the Bhengu board.
More women will be on top this season, more in charge.
Abena: Her journey and her battle is to try and keep the Bengus in line, to try and keep Bhengu Beauty running smoothly and they make it very, very difficult for her.
She's very tough, she's quite pragmatic, she believes in doing the right thing, but the challenge is that she's dealing with this dysfunctional family and things never go as smoothly as she would want them too.
She's constantly juggling the dramas that they get up to, trying to make sure that it's kept out of the press and that the company runs the way it should.
Mixing instructions
We asked Nthati... how much of Grace's personality and behaviour is her own essence and how much has been influenced by Don?
Nthati: Don and Grace's journeys or behaviour is very much influrenced by the other.
It really is a question of what Don does affects Grace and vice versa, as any normal couple does, but in this case, because it's also about empire building, because it's all about secrets and subterfuge and intrigue and mystery that surrounds these two.
Their actions, their thoughts, their deeds and the way they impact each other, it's almost like one is an extension, or, in a way, the darker side of the other, it's almost like they mirror each other in everything they do.
When to apply
At night. Season 2's events pick up on the same night that Season 1 ended.
Number of applications
Six episodes.
Sul'fury'ic acid
Dumisani Mbebe: Season 1 ends with Don in the boot of the car. The most interesting question now would be: How does he get out of the boot? What is it that he does?
First thing he does when he steps out of that boot... now he's an animal injured, and Don, the way he is, he's enraged, now he knows who Zinhle is.
He is almost left by himself, he is almost left alone in this HUGE house.
It's either he continues as a loner or he tries to bring his family together and what is he going to do to Zinhle knowing that she tried to kill him?
One thing for sure, there is no way that it's only Zinhle that was hard done by when it comes to the business of the skin bleaching by the Bhengus.
Expiry date
Premieres in 2024.