Movie Review: Killing It Season 2

Season 1 of Killing It was a smash hit because of the outrageous promise of Craig Robinson going out to kill pythons for the American Dream. However, as much as the scaly monsters aided the show’s slithering into the ludicrous comedic area, the series was more compelling when it concentrated on its great ensemble of hustlers, all of whom were attempting to get rich by playing a rigged economic game that couldn’t be won without cheating.

Season 2 of Killing It expands on the series’ most compelling elements by replacing the snakes with human predators, both old and new. So, while the series continues to struggle with balancing the story-of-the-week framework with its more major character arcs, the second season improves on everything that succeeded in the first.

Killing 2nd Season It starts a few months after the Season 1 conclusion when Craig (Robinson) sacrifices his values to win the Florida Python Challenge. The reward allows Craig and Jillian Glopp (Claudia O’Doherty) to realise their ambition of owning a saw palmetto farm and gathering berries to sell to the pharmaceutical business for a high price.

However, what may be a happy ending is only the beginning of fresh escapades for Craig and Jillian as they confront new hurdles to keep their farm running. So, much as Season 1 focused on the snake-hunting company, Season 2’s purpose is to explore the ethical pitfalls of running a business. Because, as much as Craig and Jillian want to keep their consciences clean, the world continues to remind them that it’s difficult to earn a profit without getting their hands filthy.

Killing It can continue to explore the complexities of its key characters, straining the bounds of Craig and Jillian’s cooperation, thanks to Season 2’s overall theme. Craig is open to admitting that success cannot be achieved via honesty, and that even decent people may break the rules to protect their loved ones after his unexpected decision at the end of Season 1.

Unfortunately, anytime Craig’s agricultural ideal is unexpectedly endangered, his cynical worldview is affirmed, which only serves to justify more unscrupulous choices. Despite this, Jillian refuses to profit from other people’s misery, sending the two friends on a collision path that instantly raises the emotional stakes of the second season. That doesn’t mean Killing It isn’t funny.

Even without snakes in the bogs, Season 2 of Killing It is devoted to demonstrating how unpredictable life can be by putting Craig and Jillian in unusual circumstances. Season 2 of Killing It continues to provide lots of laughs, satirising the inconsistencies of late-stage capitalism with a lot less animal killing, with criminal families desperate to gain health care and billionaires fighting sharks in swimming pools.

While Craig and Jillian’s financial problems continue to drive the storyline of Killing It forward, the rest of the series’ primary and supporting players steal the show. For starters, Rell Battle’s Isaiah has a more substantial narrative in Season 2 that demonstrates the actor’s range and is necessary for Craig to accept the moral complexity of his acts.

Tim Heidecker’s Rodney LaMonca, everyone’s favourite corporate scoundrel, also receives a lot more screen time in Season 2, exceeding his Season 1 performance while revealing the craziest side of the ultra-rich. Though Brock’s role has been decreased for Season 2 because he allegedly had his happy ending in Season 1, Scott MacArthur continues to kill as the middle-aged influencer seeking to stay viral in the volatile digital world.

Dot-Marie Jones (Glee) Jackie Boone is by far the most interesting new addition for Season 2. She is a Florida-tailored gangster at home in Killing It’s bizarre environment, leading a family of hillbilly crooks. Jones, as always, steals the show, masterfully combining the insane energy her gangster need to be dangerous with the inner pain she experiences while attempting to keep the family company going. It’s always a pleasure to see Jones work, and Season 2 of Killing It has given her one of her greatest performances ever.

One of the most common criticisms levelled at Season 1 of Killing It is that the show alternates between a problem-of-the-week premise and multi-episode character arcs. While it’s fun to watch how each episode covers a different aspect of current life in America, not every piece fits neatly into the larger picture in the first season.

Season 2 improves on this by making most subplots more important in understanding what happens to Craig, Jillian, and their saw palmetto plantation. Nonetheless, Season 2 attempts to give each episode its own tale, which results in a few subplots that feel almost wholly divorced from the main plot. Given that this season only comprises eight episodes, the series excursions seem odd.

To be fair, many stand-alone episodes are gorgeous on their own, and one story about a wealthy couple buying a baby may be the series’ funniest yet. Still, ignoring that episode in its entirety would have little effect on the main narrative, demonstrating how Killing It is still finding its timing when it comes to balancing all of its pieces.

Season 2 improves noticeably in bringing everything together, although the series is still ascending towards its pinnacle. Despite a few flaws, Season 2 of Killing It is a fantastic example of sarcastic humour. This, along with a fantastic cast, makes the series well worth watching.