One Of Netflix's Greatest Exhibits Returns Darker & Angrier Than Ever

When The Vince Staples Present dropped on Netflix final yr, it felt like a breath of contemporary air. It mixed the profound surrealism of Atlanta, the hilarious mundanity of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the idiosyncrasies of Staples’ personal comedic voice to ship a brisk, breezy TV comedy like no different. Season 2 deftly recaptures the uniquely surreal tone of season 1, nevertheless it goes a lot darker with it. Season 1 handled severe topics like gun violence and racial profiling, nevertheless it dealt with them in a lighthearted technique to spotlight how absurd they’re. Season 2 is quite a bit angrier.

This season has extra of an overarching narrative than the primary. Some episodes even have cliffhangers that straight lead into the subsequent one. Season 1 informed largely standalone tales disconnected from each other, however the present’s sophomore outing has a unfastened, overarching storyline tying the entire season collectively. In the beginning of the season, Vince’s Uncle James has simply handed away. Season 2 has loads of the identical random non-sequiturs that made season 1 really feel so refreshing, nevertheless it retains coming again to that unifying theme of grief as they course of the loss, plan the funeral, and settle his affairs.

There’s extra of a horror bent this season. The primary season was pure comedy, however this one offers with paranormal exercise and murderous cults. Vince sees the ghost of his lifeless uncle in every single place he turns, he will get stranded at a fuel station that he suspects is run by cannibals, and he has to remain in a giant, empty home the place issues go bump within the night time. In season 2, The Vince Staples Present is as a lot of a horror thriller collection as it’s a comedy.

The Vince Staples Present Season 2 Is An Unhinged Satire Of Race In America

Vince Runs Afoul Of An All-White Cult Obsessed With “Black Excellence”

Season 1 didn’t actually touch upon the present itself, however season 2 has a lot of nice self-referential gags. At one level, a valet asks Vince when the second season of his present will likely be out, and Vince tells him, “We’re filming it proper now.” Season 2 additionally continues season 1’s satire of race in America, with a reference to O.J. Simpson’s white Bronco chase and an unhinged storyline wherein Vince is inducted into the Black Icon Guild, the place Black celebrities are being honored by an odd all-white cult led by a person often known as “Massa.”

Vanessa Bell Calloway continues to steal each scene she’s in as Vince’s no-nonsense mother, Anita, however The Vince Staples Present’s second season isn’t as tight as the primary.

Vanessa Bell Calloway continues to steal each scene she’s in as Vince’s no-nonsense mother, Anita, however The Vince Staples Present’s second season isn’t as tight as the primary. Season 1 didn’t waste a second. Each episode was jam-packed with gags, and a few of them even fell wanting the 20-minute mark. The episodes by no means went on for too lengthy; if something, they felt a couple of minutes too brief. However season 2 doesn’t have the identical hermetic writing or economical enhancing; it drags out loads of moments for too lengthy, and runs a few of its gags into the bottom.

The soundtrack continues to be one of many present’s biggest property. Staples’ background is in music, so he cultivates the precise proper musical vibe for his self-titled collection. The soundtrack has a light-weight contact; it’s easygoing and to the purpose, very like the present’s signature deadpan humor. Season 2 recaptures that vibe for probably the most half, though it goes off the rails a bit within the finale. Vince instantly turns into a gun-toting John Wick with legions of henchmen coming after him, leaving the present’s grounded roots within the rearview mirror for some full-blown high-octane motion.

The Vince Staples Present is streaming on Netflix.

In its second season, The Vince Staples Present continues to be among the finest exhibits on Netflix. It’s as humorous and charming as its title star, it’s as splendidly surreal as Atlanta, and it breaks away from the standard format of a traditional TV comedy. Season 2 is darker, scarier, and longer within the tooth than season 1, however all these issues are nonetheless true.