Season 2 is an improvement on the first season for me. The comedy, writing, and characters were just so good. After getting some more time with these characters I genuinely love what almost all of them bring to show, and the relationships between them are even better. We get a different dynamic this time around with Kendall back in the mix, and his character is so different from the first season. He's become a broken shell of a man after the events of the season 1 finale, and it has a stronghold on him for this entire season. While I may have preferred to see more out of his character, seeing him become his dad's puppet all season made his decision in the finale way more powerful and enthralling. That being said, I did feel a little disappointment in that finale just because it felt like a regression for his character. I didn't want him to remain the docile puppet, but didn't necessarily want to see him go back on the offensive against his father. Still, as I'm writing this after having watched season 3, they ended up taking things to a whole new level with him regarding his opposition to his dad, so in retrospect it makes this season finale better because I really liked just how crazy things got because of the decision Kendall made. Also, I thought the performance from Jeremy Strong all season was phenomenal. This dude has a ton of range as an actor which is exemplified between the harsh contrast in his performance from season 1 to season 2, and the subtly of his performance in this season was maybe the best part for me. The entire cast really knocks it out of the park, some of the best acting and line delivery from an entire cast I've seen. Season 2 might also just be the most rewatchable of the first three seasons and I think that's because it feels the least mean-spirited. The family is (kind of) on the same side here and seeing them all together was really great, but the foul-mouthed hostility is still present so the show keeps its great tone. This season also improved on the character relationships I wasn't that crazy about in season 1, such as with Tom and Greg. The direction was also an improvement. Overall, it still dragged a little bit and was maybe less exciting than season 1, but the writing, direction, and comedy all improved from the already high bar season 1 set, and the character relationships gained even more depth and nuance.
Review by Justin NumerickBlockedParent2023-05-01T05:26:38Z
Season 2 is an improvement on the first season for me. The comedy, writing, and characters were just so good. After getting some more time with these characters I genuinely love what almost all of them bring to show, and the relationships between them are even better. We get a different dynamic this time around with Kendall back in the mix, and his character is so different from the first season. He's become a broken shell of a man after the events of the season 1 finale, and it has a stronghold on him for this entire season. While I may have preferred to see more out of his character, seeing him become his dad's puppet all season made his decision in the finale way more powerful and enthralling. That being said, I did feel a little disappointment in that finale just because it felt like a regression for his character. I didn't want him to remain the docile puppet, but didn't necessarily want to see him go back on the offensive against his father. Still, as I'm writing this after having watched season 3, they ended up taking things to a whole new level with him regarding his opposition to his dad, so in retrospect it makes this season finale better because I really liked just how crazy things got because of the decision Kendall made. Also, I thought the performance from Jeremy Strong all season was phenomenal. This dude has a ton of range as an actor which is exemplified between the harsh contrast in his performance from season 1 to season 2, and the subtly of his performance in this season was maybe the best part for me. The entire cast really knocks it out of the park, some of the best acting and line delivery from an entire cast I've seen. Season 2 might also just be the most rewatchable of the first three seasons and I think that's because it feels the least mean-spirited. The family is (kind of) on the same side here and seeing them all together was really great, but the foul-mouthed hostility is still present so the show keeps its great tone. This season also improved on the character relationships I wasn't that crazy about in season 1, such as with Tom and Greg. The direction was also an improvement. Overall, it still dragged a little bit and was maybe less exciting than season 1, but the writing, direction, and comedy all improved from the already high bar season 1 set, and the character relationships gained even more depth and nuance.
8.8/10 -- Great