Summary
The second season of Life & Beth ups the ante with strong writing and outstanding performances from Amy Schumer and Michael Cera.
Upon debuting on Hulu in March of 2022, Amy Schumer’s Life & Beth was met with critical praise, leading to its renewal for a second season. Season 2 follows Beth as she attempts to overcome her past issues to forge a promising future. The dramedy was created by Schumer who also stars in the lead role of Beth.
As Beth and John discuss taking the next step with marriage and family, they search for answers to their communication issue. Will Beth’s traumatic past continue to hinder her future, or will she finally overcome it and settle into the next phase of her life?
In Season 1, we watched Beth navigate life by hating her job, breaking up, and possibly finding herself a future partner while dealing with her troubled past. Although we have some similar beats with Beth and her crew’s comedic side, Season 2 hones in on a more mature side of Beth trying to take the next step.
Beth and John’s next step in their relationship might’ve come fast, but what they face next sees a couple attempting to jointly overcome their past to become one. The communication between the couple causes them to have some kinks in their relationship. However, one day, Beth notices something about John that might explain much of their struggles.
The season takes a massive risk by developing John’s character more with the possibility of being on the spectrum. It’s something audiences could’ve or might’ve assumed, but we dive head-first into it this season. Michael Cera’s portrayal of John depicts the idea authentically and in a way that isn’t offensive yet brings it to light. The flashbacks showing some of what John went through as a kid are quite poignant.
Amy Schumer has always found herself the butt of the jokes or getting chastised for her writing. However, when you watch Life & Beth, you see Schumer’s ability to write and transform herself into the talented actress that she can be. I believe it works as Schumer is writing a character with some of the same characteristics and struggles she faced personally.
Chemistry is essential when you have a series that centralizes focus on a couple. Amy Schumer and Michael Cera aren’t your prototypical on-screen couple, which works in the show’s favor. They both share quirkiness that delivers some truly hysterical moments within the silence. This season brought out some depth to their characters, and watching them grow within them was a delight.
As someone who doesn’t love flashbacks, the creators of this show, mixed with the editing and the cinematographers, do a great job of ensuring when we make the switch, we feel like we are in a different era. Plus, they have added such a crucial layer to developing the characters.
Another cool aspect of Season 2 was seeing the variety of guest stars who showed up. Whether you have Jennifer Coolidge as a psychic, Margaret Cho, Beanie Feldstein, or Colin Quinn, it was fun to see them pop up randomly throughout the season. Also, Rosebud Baker is HILARIOUS in this show, and I want her in more comedies.
The character development, performances by Amy Schumer and Michael Cera, and strong writing are all improved; Life & Beth took everything that made Season 1 so good and elevated it to even greater heights. The icing on the cake is how brisk of a binge the series is. It is a tight ten episodes you can finish all in one sitting.
If you haven’t caught Life & Beth, take the opportunity to binge-watch both seasons.
What did you think of Life & Beth Season 2? Comment below.
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