Netflix’s UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT! (Season 2) REVIEW (Non-Spoiler)

For a show that nailed aesthetic and character, it fell victim to generic, unoriginal writing. In fact, here’s exactly what I thought of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s first go:

At its best, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt magnifies its silly scenarios to help pace and accentuate its high-brow-parodied comedy. At its worst, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is written with the middle-school IQ Kimmy obliviously frolics in. It’s never consistent enough to permanently fall under either description, these amazingly realized characters have nothing to offer in this equally defined, unexplored world. And that’s the biggest disappointment.

Whelp, I guess you didn’t need to read that review after all.

Season 2 could have easy fallen victim to “more of the same”. It could have gone the opposite route and added a ton of supporting characters and love interests with the intention of heightening the stakes of the show. Or it could have improved, not just on what the season prior lacked, but on its already functioning pieces. And that’s exactly what it did.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s second outing was a phenomenal improvement over its rookie season; it continuously elaborated on the pieces that worked while simultaneously repairing aspects that didn’t.

While the season is by no means “perfect” (whatever that means), it is undeniably, vastly superior to its predecessor.

PLOT

Kimmy is still trying to adjust to a world she missed out on after being locked inside of a bunker thanks to a doomsday cult. You know, the usual. Fortunately the plot hasn’t changed much, giving the writers freedom to explore threads I felt weren’t done justice in the first season.

CHARACTERS/ACTING

Ellie Kemper is back at it with the appropriate amount of childish purity that makes her so adorably entertaining. Kimmy (Kemper) works best when she doesn’t quite comprehend stakes because of her middle school IQ, as opposed to the few instances she has to babysit her mole sisters from the bunker. These women are by far the weakest moments of the series, and while they showcase Ellie Kemper’s acting range, I never wanted to revisit her past. I felt the episodes that went back in time were weakest.

That being said, there are far more emotional moments this season that require Kimmy to face dramatic arcs through her quirky lens. UKS struck the perfect balance without ever feeling too heavy or detracting from the humor in the scene. The last episode in particular hit said dramatic cues really well, further exploring Kimmy’s emotional scope.

Titus (Tituss Burgess) has slowly become my favorite of the bunch, his character goes through the most transformation this season. Remember that thing I said about wishing the show explored their diverse cast?

They did! And it works really well. Without spoiling anything, Titus gets a love interest that was executed well enough, and Lillian (Carol Kane) struggles with millennial changes to her neighborhood. They truly played to the actor’s strengths.

Jane Krakowski has the weakest set of storylines compared to the rest. Her character has definitely evolved since last season, but that resolution is detrimental to what makes Jacqueline so entertaining. She was eventually sidelined after the first few episodes due to writer’s block and was separated from the main threads when her character had any relevance to the action onscreen. Krakowski does the best she could do with what she’s given, but was ultimately forgettable.

Tina Fey also played a key role in Kimmy’s development this season, returning as a different character who, despite her interesting setup, is left with nothing to do and lacks any arc. This cameo did work far better than last seasons lawyer distraction for the finale’s disposable plot thread.

I also enjoyed Will Arnett’s voice cameo!

WRITING/STRUCTURE

This season got off to a fantastic start! And while the pacing was notably chaotic during the premiere (time jumps that involved Christmas or something), this episode was statement enough that this was a new season willing to explore these characters in a way the last one failed to. This lead was held for more than just the first half-hour, the second episode was one of my favorites to date.

The witty dialogue worked wonders within the confines and context of the plot setup (which were often equally clever). The showrunners also did away with the brief opening sketches that were previously unrelated to the plot and replaced them with lengthy setups that narratively flow into the rest of the episode. And while some of these episodes are forgettable, they continue to entertain thanks to the moment-to-moment approach the writing took this season. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt prides itself on character-specific quips; jokes aren’t solely presented through the absurdities spewed, and payoffs are far more frequent thanks to proper joke-building. I don’t know if “joke-building” is a real term, but then again, I don’t really know anything.

Season 2 isn’t perfect. UKS still suffers from the immaturity it often nails; for example, I encountered one too many genitalia jokes. And even though each individual episode is consistently entertaining, I felt the show could have benefited by cutting each episode five minutes shorter.

TONE

The tone works as well as ever. Although I still skip the obnoxious opening credits (every single time), UKS is vibrantly charming. This season is the natural progression of season 1’s tone that only benefits from the improvement in the writing department.

Here’s what I said about it in season 1:

This is where Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt rightfully basks in its yellows, pinks, and purples. The tone undeniably shines from the opening credits I consistently skip, to the exclamation point at the end of every episode title, and to the slideshow-esc closing credits. Whether or not you like the obnoxious nature of the show is specific to you, the viewer… Tone where Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt does Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt best.

MUSIC

Musically speaking, the sounds of UKS are as good as ever. The score contains more emotional moments this time around (when the narrative demands it), blending the whimsical, light-hearted sounds with heartfelt tunes. This season is sonically superior to the first, a lot of the sound effects add to punchlines in a subtle enough manner that doesn’t scream “gimmick!”. This is one of the aspects of UKS that benefits from its resemblance to its late, spiritual predecessor, 30 Rock. The chirpy tunes truly breathe life through every corner of this fully-realized world… Otherwise known as New York.

IN CLOSING

Season 2 both impressed and inspired me. This “critically acclaimed” show could have easily gone back to its mediocre ways, but instead improved on nearly every aspect. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but it’s on track to be one of the better comedies in the streaming world if they continue to hone these characters and write around them. Sure, my opinion from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s second outing potentially lacks sobriety thanks to the disappointing bar set by the first. But this show knows what it is, and the writing is finally on par with its tone and character. That alone is enough for me to recommend this season to any fan of comedic television.