Shrill returns for season 2 with Annie dealing with the aftermath of last season when she took on her troll, got serious with her boyfriend, and spontaneously quit her job. Meanwhile, Amadi (grounding force/dream work husband Ian Owens) is adjusting to being the boss, something he finds surprisingly enjoyable, which frees Gabe up to show us what it look like when he’s actually a good editor for what feels like the first time all season. Fran (the luminous Lolly Adefope) is on her own journey of discovery, one that’s more central to the narrative than before. The strong cast is led by Aidy Bryant’s infectious charm, which carries her through some of the tougher moments as she struggles with life as a hapless millennial freelancer. But the talent by no means stops there, with Lolly Adefope’s Fran finding new levels of vulnerability in a character who externally projects the effortless self-possession of someone who owns every room into which she walks. Julia Sweeney as Annie’s mother Vera continues to find the way to make that character equal parts maddening and loving, while opening her up to Annie this season in a new way. Meanwhile Patti Harrison’s chaotic office assistant Ruthie steals every scene she’s in, and John Cameron Mitchell ensures Gabe is more than a caricature or a bogeyman. read more: Best TV Comedy Shows of 2019 If season 1 was about Annie’s epiphany and liberation, season 2 is about the hard work of putting those ideals into action, even in parts of her life where she’s been unable to see how she’s come up short. When it comes to Annie’s love life, that’s an all-too-real phenomenon, and one worthy of commentary, which largely comes in the form of Fran and occasionally Amadi. More so than in the first, season 2 challenges Annie to differentiate between personal empowerment and selfishness, to distinguish when she’s letting herself or Ryan off the hook while learning to hold everyone else accountable. A major improvement is Fran’s narrative prominence, with her romantic life and her personal development weaving their way through the entire season. Perhaps the best episode of the season focuses on Fran, her relationship to her family, and what it means to be a queer woman of the African diaspora. Shrill breaks with harmful tropes about Black folks and the LGBTQ community, instead digging deeper and showcasing a variety of relationships like Fran’s with her cousin and her brother. The latter could stand to be on the show more often and likely will, if Lindy West’s real life remains the template (she’s married to musician Ahamefule Oluo, brother to her best friend Ijeoma Oluo, who serves as a loose inspiration for the character Fran). read more – Shrill: Aidy Bryant’s Transformative Moment on Set The show’s feminism, writ large, has been more fully incorporated into the overall storytelling. It’s still there, but it’s less limited to specific episodes like the still-perfect Fat Babe pool party episode. This largely benefits characters other than Annie coming closer to the narrative center, like the welcome addition of newcomer Emily Fightmaster, the way queerness much more fully permeates Annie and Fran’s life this season, or the way the show casually confirms that Ruthie is trans like the actress who plays her. Once again about half of the episodes are directed by women, including Russian Doll’s Natasha Lyonne. It’s good to finally hear Lizzo’s music on the soundtrack, though it feels rather late. The strongest songs on this season are not on the soundtrack, but rather a stripped down vocal performance of “God Only Knows” at a queer open mic, and Fran bringing down the house on “Shallow” at karaoke. Both are deeply evocative and unforgettable in the moment. Please can Queeraoke be a thing in the Shrill universe of season 3? Once again, the experience of watching Shrill is joyous, refreshing, even liberating. As it expands its world with a much needed (though still not high enough) extended episode count, Shrill season 2 gives a renewed focus on secondary characters, particularly the magnetic Fran. Filling out the world of Fran and Annie’s group of friends more meaningfully feels like a win for the duo’s personal development journeys as much as it’s a treat for viewers to get additional talent and some of the season’s emotional high points on our screens. As Annie makes her way through the highs and lows of adulthood, from the thrilling to the embarrassing to the banal, Shrill lets us watch something truly special: a woman coming into her own power.
