As far as this reviewer is concerned, the biggest question left after Space ForceThe first season of the series has nothing to do with space wars or prison escapes – that’s whether the series can improve by the time it returns. The initial run of the Greg Daniels and Steve Carell comedy was pretty intense, but it also ended up stronger than it started. There is every reason to hope, if not necessarily expect, that Space Force could come back better in season two.
The good news is Space Force appears to have undergone a much-needed course adjustment, resulting in a more consistent and coherent series. Irrelevant satire and unfounded subplots have been removed to focus more on the central cast, which has allowed Space Force to present itself as a more streamlined and heartfelt workplace comedy it always seemed to have the potential to be.
Space Force
Key point
Better than the first season, but still not so good.
The bad news is that it still doesn’t really work. If season one was just promising enough to get another worthwhile chance, season two was still disappointing enough to suggest we don’t need another.
In a meta twist, most of season two revolved around the army branch’s efforts to justify its own existence. Under the leadership of the clumsy but upright General Mark Naird (Carell), they face bad press, budget cuts and skeptical decision-makers. In response, both the Space Force and Space Force has grown thinner. Gone are the ambitious missions of season one, like space chimpanzees and lunar habitats, and toothless parodies of real-life characters like Elizabeth Holmes and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez . The weird side plot about Naird’s wife (Lisa Kudrow) is mostly fruitless, and not much missed. Even the number of episodes has been reduced to seven, from season ten.
Instead, season two offers more comedy in and around the base, emphasizing the regulars’ personal journeys and the relationship between them. The melody is less this time Veepthan Office. Episode after episode reaffirms how caring the team members are and especially how much they love and respect Naird, whose self has been reframed to seem more grounded. He’s still enough of a fool to accidentally project a painful and intimate medical procedure all over the office. But he’s less prone to tangles and musical flares, and he’s ditched the uncanny gruff vocals – with encouragement from PR expert Tony (Ben Schwarz), who echoes the audience’s criticisms. about “produced timbre”.
In theory, the show is making all the right moves. The romantic tension between scientist Chan (Jimmy O. Yang) and astronaut Angela (Tawny Newsome) – easily the best part of season one – plays a more prominent role in season two, and even gives Tony a surprising opportunity to show off a softer, sweeter side. Naird’s daughter Erin (Diana Silvers) is given an internship at the Space Force, which more organically combines her with activities around the base. The once antagonistic relationship between Naird and chief scientist Mallory (John Malkovich) has turned into an odd couple that can be quite endearing, like in an episode when each man gently delivers bad news on his own. for each other.
For all this tweaking, though, the series as a whole still feels remarkable only on a dramatic level. The plots are still loose and local. The individual episodes seem to change direction several times before getting smaller, while the serial arcs spin their wheels before going anywhere. Angela’s mental health struggles after returning from the moon can and should be compelling storytelling, but end so poorly that it seems pointless. Meanwhile, Erin’s participation in the stock market had the majority, but very little coming at the end of the season. I will tell Space Force more time is needed to validate some of these stories, but given how much time it feels wasted, I don’t know if it really helps.
These significant omissions would be more forgivable if Space Force was very funny. It certainly has its moments, as might be expected from a bright cast like this one. Malkovich was able to create a whole meal out of the phrase “black Cajun salmon with cranberry vinaigrette.” Don Lake, as Brigadier General Gregory (essentially Naird’s administrative assistant), remains comically relieved, churning out lines like “My wife was abducted by aliens on a business trip. and forced to have sex with her boss” with almost irresistible cheers. Schwartz goes on to remind us that few people are better at playing the slightly sketchy but endearing motormouths. As with so many other things about Space ForceHowever, the jokes seem like they should be better than they are.
At the end of season two, the Space Force seemed in danger of disbanding altogether as their core team pondered over their future – whether to pursue different offers and adventures together, or not. stay together and fight to keep what they once had. Obviously we’re hoping for a sequel, as who can root against a fictional gang of secretive weirdos? But for Space Force itself, perhaps the best the show can do right now is call it a day and free up its cast to move on to more exciting new horizons.
