The feeling left by Season 2 of Frieren is that nothing really happened. This is not true, but the break of momentum from Season 1 is strongly felt. After a thrilling ending of the first season with the first class mage exam, the second season returns to the episodic travel and odd jobs.
You cannot have Frieren without the episodic travel as it is essential to worldbuilding and character development. However, the narrative works better when these episodes are paired with more focused arcs, as the lighthearted nature of the travel reinforces the high stakes of those conflicts. Unfortunately, when they are not paired, they can feel a bit hollow. For example, the last 2 episodes feel like a buildup without a payoff as the next arc is name-dropped but nothing comes of it yet.
That being said, the fight against Revolte is the strongest part of Season 2. The trope of the “cold guy that deep down cares” is certainly overused, but executed correctly with Genau. It is clear that there is a conflict of who he is and who he needs to be to survive. This is reinforced by the interaction between him and Serie. It is likely that she sees through his façade but knows that he, just like herself, needs to remain cold and uncaring to survive. This is the strongest suit of Frieren: the ability to develop characters through even the shortest interactions.
In the end, this season feels like a stepping stone between two major seasons rather than one on its own. It was an enjoyable experience but too short to feel fulfilling. I look forward to the next season and The Golden Land arc.