CHAD POWERS: SEASON TWO
Starring: Glen Powell, Steve Zahn, Perry Mattfeld, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Wynn Everett, Clayne Crawford, Quentin Phair, and Colton Ryan
Creators: Glen Powell and Michael Waldron
NICK
Although it retains its dumb humour, Season Two of Chad Powers leans more into the relationships of its characters, and it's better off for it. Although I wasn't the biggest fan of Season One, it clearly did well in establishing these characters because I didn't realize how much I'd enjoy their return. This season, the focus is less on being an outright comedy as it tries to find the balance of being an edgier Ted Lasso while still keeping some of its more ridiculous moments. It’s a tonal shift that may not work for everyone, but I think it’s on the right track.
ROBERT
The dumbness of Chad Powers’ first season knew no bounds in my estimation. Somehow, in Season Two, as the conspiracy widened and the lines were drawn between those trying to keep Chad’s (Glen Powell) secret and those trying to expose it, the show found reliable footing. Now that some time has been spent with these characters, the show can explore deeper wells of motivation. There are interesting concepts about identity and the nature of relationships (even if they’re always transactional in some way) that ascribed an undergirding of meaning Season One lacked. This prestigious tone is a mask I’m glad Chad Powers decided to wear.
QUENTIN
With the setup of its skit-like premise out of the way, Chad Powers’ second season is given room to maneuver into a more self-assured and layered character study. The jokes still aren’t of the laugh-out-loud variety, but since the story goes deeper with its examination of identity — through increasingly dramatic thriller vibes — the laughs feel far less forced than in Season One. Of course, Powers’ ridiculousness is only believable because Glen Powell is fully committed to the series’ brand of goofy seriousness (or is it serious goofiness?). Plus, at barely three hours total, the season ends before you start overthinking the irrationality of it all.
