I wish I could say I binge-watched the second season of  Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for the purpose of "research for my blog", but I did it all too willingly. I was hooked. It's taken me just over a week (which is hardly binge-watching) but in a week that has been insanely busy. Season 1 and its hilarious fresh bizarre sheer quirkiness caught me off guard last year, and Season 2 is as bonkers and outrageous as ever.

"What the fudge!?"

Ellie Kemper returns as one of the most likeable protagonists on TV, still coming to terms with her ordeal as a 'Mole Woman', being trapped in a bunker for 15 years. Basically all the supporting cast return, including sassy sidekick/flatmate Titus, and landlord Lilian, who is a much cooler character this time round. Then there's a newly divorced Jacqueline White, and a brand new character in the form of series creator and all-round funnywoman Tina Fey...plus a whole host of brilliant unmissable cameos.

Firstly, if you haven't seen the first season, it's not really a show that revolves around spoilers/potential spoilers, but you should probably go and watch it anyway. Let me give you a bit of context...it's a show that incorporates showstopping musical numbers but isn't a musical show, and manages to make a story about entrapment and captivity extremely funny and entertaining without being insensitive. Ie. see it to believe it.

"Nobody's gone to space since 2011."
"So, like American Apparel?" 

Season 2's script is funnier and wittier, full of jokes both obvious and subtle (warning: there's a lot of hipster mockery), and little responses to Season 1 criticisms. Although the plot is actually pretty different to the previous, it's still based on life post-bunker with appropriate flashbacks, and revolves around Kimmy. We see less of Jacqueline's life (which I do miss) and family which shaped Kimmy's newfound life in S1, and love triangled character Dong, and instead, more of Tina Fey's drunk shrink Andrea. She's funny, but not quite Jane Krakowski funny. Plus, there's a new subplot with Kimmy's relationship with her mother; enter Lisa Kudrow as one of the many star-powered guest stars. What does return, however, is the show's feel-good mentality. You don't need a man to be happy, be proud of who you are, don't let your past define you, you can be as wacky and brilliant as you like. Also, the show unashamedly screams unbreakable girl power!

On surface level it's a TV show of 'funny-with-heart', and weiiiird cartoon singsongs when you delve inside Kimmy's head - but it also introduces more realism, and the death of innocence when 'niceness' as a coping mechanism is what keeps you from fully living. Kimmy may be this super cheerful nice crazy lady who loves to smile and skip, but deep down she's got real issues. And don't we all? There's character development (Jacqueline giving a pair of Louboutins to a stranger? That's so nice!) and the blossoming romance of Titus and Mikey the construction worker from S1, but at the expense of a less consistent plot umbrella. That's ok though, because like Kimmy, this show is still trying to find itself.


Season 2 does not disappoint with its laugh-out-loud moments, parodies, life lessons through metaphors, and unbreakable acting. The show tells us not to be afraid of failure, so it takes the crazy and runs with it, equally unafraid. And it has no reason to be. Although it may not top the first season, it took the difficult challenge of a sequel - even with longer running time - and produced a more than solid, risk-taking return. So, when's Season 3?



Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Seasons 1 & 2 are available on Netflix now.