History YMMV / GenLock

** Before its official name was released, [[spoiler: Nemesis]] received the nicknames General Nanomachines, [[{{VideoGame/Warframe}} the Stalker]], and [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Grievous]] from the gen:LOCK official Discord, and was dubbed [[spoiler: [[OffWithHerHead Headsnatcher]]]] by Tumblr.

** The Union's full name, The Great Union of the Fourth Turning Republics, is a reference to the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss-Howe_generational_theory Strauss-Howe Generational Theory]], which posits that societies cycle between several different archetypal eras. The Fourth Turning, or Crisis, involves the destruction and reformation of a nation's institutional life in response to an existential threat, with revived civic authority and decreased individualism as a result.

* SeasonalRot: Season 2 is widely regarded by fans as a step down, thanks to the show downplaying the slick mecha action and character moments (widely regarded as some of the best parts of the series) in favor of half-baked political drama, having various characters [[TookALevelInJerkass take several levels in jerkass]], [[DroppedABridgeOnHim dropping bridges]] characters like [[spoiler:Kazu]] and fan-favorite [[spoiler:Cammie]] for shock value, and it's unrelentingly bleak tone.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Season 2 has received a ''swathe'' of criticisms regarding a number of changes made to the series following Gray Haddock's departure. The significant DarkerAndEdgier shift away from the Season 1's more lighthearted tone, the increased amount of [[BloodierAndGorier visceral violence]] and [[HotterAndSexier sexually explicit]] content, several named characters such as Miranda [[TookALevelInJerkass Taking a Level in Jerkass]], several main characters being killed off for shock value, and the Battle Tapes ThemeTune [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking being dropped]], have all been major points of contention since the show's debut on HBO Max.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Season 2 has received a ''swathe'' of criticisms regarding a number of changes made to the series following Gray Haddock's departure. The significant DarkerAndEdgier shift away from the Season 1's more lighthearted tone, the increased amount of [[BloodierAndGorier visceral violence]] and [[HotterAndSexier sexually explicit]] content, several named characters such as Miranda [[TookALevelInJerkass Taking a Level in Jerkass]], and the Battle Tapes ThemeTune [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking being dropped]], have all been major points of contention since the show's debut on HBO Max.

* VindicatedByHistory: When the series first aired, many people found it to be SoOkayItsAverage. Tunes quickly changed when Season 2 showed a much darker, bleaker tone, and several characters, especially Miranda and Colonel Marin TookALevelInJerkass [[spoiler:and killing off Kazu and fan-favorite Cammie]].

* SeasonalRot: Season 2 is widely regarded by fans as a step down, thanks to the show downplaying the slick mecha action and character moments (widely regarded as some of the best parts of the series) in favor of half-baked political drama, having Marin and the Polity as a whole turn into amoral, vicious KnightTemplar{{s}} with no build-up, [[DroppedABridgeOnHim dropping bridges]] characters like [[spoiler:Kazu]] and fan-favorite [[spoiler:Cammie]] for shock value, and it's unrelentingly bleak tone.

* SeasonalRot: Season 2 is widely regarded by fans as a step down, thanks to the show downplaying the slick mecha action and character moments (widely regarded as some of the best parts of the series) in favor of half-baked political drama, having Marin and the Polity as a whole turn into amoral, vicious KnightTemplar{{s}} with no build-up, and [[DroppedABridgeOnHim dropping bridges]] characters like [[spoiler:Kazu]] and fan-favorite [[spoiler:Cammie]] for shock value.

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Season 2 has progressively alienated many fans due to its bleaker and more miserable tone. Most of the fun character moments and slick mecha action have been replaced with half-baked political drama. The Polity and several of its members (Marin) have [[TookALevelInJerkass taken several levels in jerkass]] with little build-up. And finally, the senseless and unceremonious deaths of prominent named characters. [[spoiler: Both Jodie and Kazu in episode 4 are killed off with little fanfare, and most egregiously, fan favorite Cammie in the episode right after, [[DrivenToSuicide functionally commits suicide]]]]. Many fans have made their disdain for Season 2 clear in episode discussion threads and the official Gen:Lock Subreddit, with many loudly declaring they're done with the series after the events of Episodes 4 and 5.

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Season 2 has progressively alienated a number of fans due to its bleaker and more miserable tone with most of the fun character moments and slick mecha action replaced with half-baked political drama, the Polity and several of its members (Marin) taking several levels in Jerkass with little buildup to it, along with many senseless and unceremonious deaths of named characters, [[spoiler: Jodie and Katsu in episode 4 bot dying with little fanfare, and most egregiously fan favorite Cammie in the episode right after with her functionality committing suicide, which left a bad taste in many fans mouths.]] Many fans within episode discussion threads and the official Gen:Lock Subreddit have made their disdain for Season 2 clear, with many loudly declaring they're done with the series after the events of Episodes 4 and 5.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The amount of rabbit AnimalMotifs attached to Cammie, including having her [[DigitalAvatar Ether avatar]] as a bunny. Is this merely because she finds rabbits [[BunniesforCuteness cute]] or is she part of the UsefulNotes/FurryFandom?

* Main/{{Misblamed}}: When it became clear that the series was taking a much darker turn, many fans believed the changes were caused by [=RoosterTeeth=]. In actuality, RT has nothing to do with Season 2 whatsoever, with one of the animators from the previous season also expressing his displeasure, especially in regards to the sex scene.

* {{Misblaimed}}: When it became clear that the series was taking a much darker turn, many fans believed the changes were caused by [=RoosterTeeth=]. In actuality, RT has nothing to do with Season 2 whatsoever, with one of the animators from the previous season also expressing his displeasure, especially in regards to the sex scene.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Season 2 has been receiving a ''lot'' of flak as while some fans find the darker tone compared to the first season to be a welcome addition and the war going from a straightforward "good country vs evil country" to GrayAndGrayMorality, the same cannot be said about how several characters TookALevelInJerkass, Miranda most of all.

* WinTheCrowd: The reaction to the first few episodes has been largely positive. A lot of praise has been given to the animation and the entertaining characters, and the references to other Rooster Teeth series have been warmly received.

* OvershadowedByControversy: ''gen:LOCK'' was designed to be a similar breakout hit as their previous show ''RWBY'', with the intent to put RT on the map for animation projects. While ''gen:LOCK'' was well-received critically, it being locked behind Rooster Teeth's First premium membership meant the viewbase was small and reports suggest the show's massive budget (especially its high-profile voice cast including Maisie Williams, Koichi Yamadera and David Tennant) lead to it under-performing. Discussion about the show, however, would be dominated by [[https://www.popdust.com/rooster-teeth-crunch-2638895587.html revelations in June 2019]] of the show being a harrowing production for the Rooster Teeth animation team, who reported no overtime leading to as much of a third of ''gen:LOCK'' (and a third of the corresponding ''RWBY'' season) being effectively made for free. Further accusations would be levied against at-the-time Head of Animation and showrunner for ''gen:LOCK'', Gray Haddock, for prioritizing resources and sabotaging other shows to siphon their budgets to compensate for ''gen:LOCK''. Even worse, it was all but stated that Haddock's sabotage, combined with the disastrously poor sales of Rooster Teeth's new game, ''Vicious Circle'', were a direct cause of the infamous 30% layoffs later that year. Discussion about the show without acknowledging the production is now near-impossible.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The Union were heavily criticised in Season 1 for being generic villains with no backstory, with the series never explaining why they seek to control the world. Season 2's press summary makes a point to mention that the series will gain several Union characters as POVs to show their side of the war and why they fight.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:

* UnfortunateImplications: The way not only Chase but multiple other characters consistently refer to him as a "ghost" and fail to refute his belief that he "died" or "lost his body" in New York because of the severity of his disabilities, and that his current existence "doesn't count" as a life, can be ''extremely'' [[RealitySubtext off-putting to disabled viewers]].

* UnfortunateImplications: [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement A single eight-episode season]] is not nearly enough to say where the themes and messages of gen:LOCK will come down on the issue, or how it will resolve, and Chase's views toward his own existence are clearly portrayed as unhealthy. Nevertheless, the way Chase talks about his body--and the way ''other characters'' talk about him and his body--falls into several [[BuryYourDisabled very old ableist tropes]] that imply life after a severe injury leaves someone multiply disabled somehow doesn't "count".
** "You call this a life?" is the most obvious example, directly stating that it's impossible to "have a life" in Chase's condition.
** In general, the fact that not only Chase but the people around him talk and act as if Chase is dead, "a ghost," somehow already only exists as an electronic presence ("I lost [my body] four years ago")...while his fully alive and responsive body is right there in the base and Migas has already been shown to have visited him in person...can be incredibly chilling and distressing to disabled viewers. Chase is not dead, nor is he in some kind of sci-fi FictionalDisability in which his mind exists solely in electronic form or his body is somehow disconnected from his flesh brain. He's ''disabled,'' in a manner not unlike many real-life disabled people who also depend on elaborate life-support and medical devices. He's even fully capable of communicating exactly as he could before his crash--something plenty of real-life disabled people with nearly identical physical disabilities/injuries ''cannot'' do in the same way, and who struggle every day against [[TheSocialDarwinist eugenicist views]] that ''do'' consider their lives "not worth living" as a result and thus disposable.

** The credits song, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAMqTESs7g "Weight of the World"]] again by Battle Tapes.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYkSyjYcHi0 The piano played during the Evacuation of New York]] and the smoke entering the Anvil.