It was only a few days after Cycle 1 that I watched the next batch of 4 short episodes that make up Cycle/Season 2 of this webseries. In this second season the guy delivers to: a pair of utter self-obsessed assholes; a man who lives with his mother and doesn't go out of the house ever; a couple who have a parade of inconsiderate AirBnB guests staying with them to help make ends meet; and a couple who have an adventurous and sexually active friend staying with them in their front room. In this cycle 'the guy' is noticeably less of a part of the episodes even though of course he remains present as the key reason we the viewer get to be there in the first place.
The characters here seem more filled out and accordingly the films are a little longer but certainly fuller than the first season. The feeling of it being a sketch went away for me as well and, like the final episode of the last cycle, it really felt like I was watching more of a scene. The characters remain really well written – they are broad enough so that they can be recognized within a category, but they are not played like stereotypes even if there is an element of caricature to them. I think Olivia (with the assholes) was the funniest; Helen (with the man and his mother) was a bit more reflective and simple; while Dinah had the best mix of comedy but also character drama too. The performances throughout all the episodes are really great – natural and engaging, making the most of the good writing. Although he is in it less, Sinclair remains really easy to like and a good presence in the face of changing characters and tones.
It is a strong season and builds on the good start in the first, keeping what worked well but building on it. As before the production values are really high, looking and sounding great, with again the great use and selection of music.
The characters here seem more filled out and accordingly the films are a little longer but certainly fuller than the first season. The feeling of it being a sketch went away for me as well and, like the final episode of the last cycle, it really felt like I was watching more of a scene. The characters remain really well written – they are broad enough so that they can be recognized within a category, but they are not played like stereotypes even if there is an element of caricature to them. I think Olivia (with the assholes) was the funniest; Helen (with the man and his mother) was a bit more reflective and simple; while Dinah had the best mix of comedy but also character drama too. The performances throughout all the episodes are really great – natural and engaging, making the most of the good writing. Although he is in it less, Sinclair remains really easy to like and a good presence in the face of changing characters and tones.
It is a strong season and builds on the good start in the first, keeping what worked well but building on it. As before the production values are really high, looking and sounding great, with again the great use and selection of music.
