In this critic’s opinion, the main issue left hanging after Space Force’s first season had nothing to do with space battles or prison breakouts – it was whether the series would improve by the time it returned. The comedy starring Greg Daniels and Steve Carell had a shaky start, but it concluded better than it had begun. There was every reason to hope, if not necessarily anticipate, a stronger Space Force season 2.
The good news is that Space Force season 2 appears to have made a much-needed course correction, resulting in a more consistent and logical series. Extraneous satire and off-base subplots have been dropped in favor of a stronger emphasis on the primary group of people, allowing Space Force to unveil itself as the more streamlined and true workplace comedy it always appeared to have the potential to be.
The bad news is that it still doesn’t operate properly. If season one was just promising enough to warrant a second look, Space Force season 2 has been just disappointing enough to indicate we don’t need another.
In an ironic twist, most season two is devoted to the military branch’s efforts to defend its existence. They face the poor press, budget cuts, and suspicious decision-makers under the leadership of the awkward but righteous General Mark Naird (Carell). As a result, both the Space Force and the Space Force season 2 have become thinner.
Season one’s ambitious missions, such as space chimps and lunar habitats, are gone, as are the toothless parodies of real-life figures like Elizabeth Holmes and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The strange subplot with Naird’s wife (Lisa Kudrow) has been reduced to nearly nothing and isn’t missed. Even the episode count has been reduced to seven from 10 in season one.
On the other hand, Space Force season 2 features more humor set in and around the base, stressing the regulars’ adventures and ties with one another. This time, the tone is more The Office than Veep. Episode after episode underlines how much these team members care about each other, especially how much they adore and respect Naird, who has been recalibrated to appear more grounded. He’s still bumbling enough to mistakenly transmit a painful and intimate medical procedure onto screens across the office.
But he’s less prone to hissy fits and musical outbursts. He’s lost the strangely gruff voice — thanks to PR guru Tony (Ben Schwarz), who agrees with audience complaints of its “artificial tone.”
In principle, the program is going in the correct direction. The love tension between scientist Chan (Jimmy O. Yang) and astronaut Angela (Tawny Newsome), arguably the greatest part of season one, plays a larger role in Space Force season 2 and even allows Tony to show off a softer, sweeter side. Erin (Diana Silvers), Naird’s daughter, is offered an internship at Space Force, which integrates her more organically into base goings.
Also Read, The Uncharted Movie: A Big Disappointment to Nathan Drake Fans
The once-hostile relationship between Naird and top scientist Mallory (John Malkovich) has evolved into an odd-couple dynamic that can be rather adorable, such as in one episode when each man steels himself to gently give terrible news to the other.
Despite all of this fine-tuning, the series is primarily notable for how lackluster it is. The planning is still sloppy and bumpy. Individual episodes appear to shift course multiple times before petering out. In contrast, serialized arcs appear to spin their wheels before going nowhere. After returning from the moon, Angela’s mental health issues should and should have provided for compelling storytelling. Still, they are so underplayed as to be insignificant.
Meanwhile, much is made of Erin’s entrée into the stock market, but very little has happened by the conclusion of the season. I’d argue that the Space Force needs more time to flesh out some of these tales, but considering how much of the time it does have seems squandered, I’m not sure it’d be worth it.
These dramatic flaws might be more forgiving if Space Force was hilarious. As one would expect from a cast this talented, it has its moments. Malkovich can turn the phrase “blackened Cajun salmon with cranberry vinaigrette” into an entire feast. Don Lake, who plays Brigadier General Gregory (basically Naird’s administrative assistant), provides excellent comedic relief, delivering lines like “My wife was taken by aliens on a business trip and forced to have sex with her employer” with almost disturbing relish.
Schwartz reminds us that few actors are better at playing somewhat shady but ultimately endearing motormouths. Like so much else in Space Force, the jokes feel like they should be better than they are.
By the end of Space Force Season 2, it appears to be on the verge of disbanding as its core crew contemplates their future – whether to seek other offers and experiences away from one another or to stay together and fight to retain what they once had. We’re supposed to hope for the latter, since who could cheer against a fictitious gang of oddballs? But, in terms of Space Force, perhaps the best thing the program can do now calls it quits and let its performers go on to more exciting new frontiers.
