Review: Space Force S2 retains its comedic magic, but starts to lose its shine

The Netflix absurdist comedy space power was an Ars favorite in 2020 and easily won a spot on our annual list of the best TV shows. We loved the wickedly sly humor, absurdist set-up and unexpected heart of the show. It’s finally back with a second season, and while much of the old magic remains intact, it’s starting to lose its luster a bit – maybe because we only have seven episodes instead of ten (thanks, never-ending pandemic).

(Spoilers for S1 below.)

As we previously reported, the series was created by Steve Carell and Greg Daniels (who also Parks and Recreation and upload† space power was inspired in part by the Trump administration’s announcement that it would create a national space force. Carell plays four-star General Mark Naird, a decorated pilot who dreams of leading the Air Force.

But in the pilot episode, his dreams for promotion were dashed when he was instead tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces: Space Force. His new appointment earned the mockery of Naird’s four-star general rival Kick Grabaston (Noah Emmerich). Once the good soldier, Mark uprooted his family and moved to a remote base in Wild Horse, Colorado, where he and a colorful team of scientists and aspiring “Spacemen” struggled to meet the White House’s urging to (again) ) to get American boots on the moon. by 2024, achieving “total space dominance”.

Naird, of course, clashes with his chief scientist, Dr. Adrian Mallory (John Malkovich), a pacifist who has doubts about working for the Department of Defense. Mark’s wife, Maggie (Lisa Kudrow) is in prison and his daughter Erin (Diana Silvers) hates living in Colorado. The impressive main cast also includes Ben Schwartz as social media director Tony Scarapiducci; Jimmy O. Yang as Dr. Chan Kaifang, Mallory’s chief assistant; Tawny Newsome as Captain Angela Ali, a helicopter pilot who becomes one of the mission’s astronauts; and Don Lake as Brigadier General Bradley Gregory, Naird’s aide.

Somehow, Space Force manages to get those boots on the moon, but so does China. In the S1 finale, the Joints Chief of Staff was outraged at the desecration by the Chinese astronauts of the Apollo 11 Lunar Flag Assembly (they rolled over in a rover). Naird’s strategy of a mild attack on the Chinese habitat was rejected by the defense minister, who ordered the destruction of the Chinese lunar base, likely provoking all-out war.

Mallory threatened to resign and Naird decided to disobey his orders. That, in turn, led Grabaston to stage a military coup and take over Space Force, arresting Mallory and Naird. The American astronauts were told to attack the Chinese habitat with wrenches. They returned from this dubious mission to find that the Chinese astronauts had paralyzed the US base, threatening their very existence. And, stage.

That first season was inexplicably panned by critics (viewers were much more positive). Maybe those critics weren’t watching the same series because we here at Ars loved the show, although senior Space Editor Eric Berger had some issues with the portrayal of the space technology. It’s not The officealso not Veep, and that’s a good thing. My opinion:

space power‘s approach to comedy is that of a precision scalpel carefully sheathed to prevent it from doing too much damage with its cuts. There’s an underlying warmth and affection for all these fallible characters trying to do something extraordinary that makes us root for them, even when we laugh at their jokes… Malkovich stars like a supernova as Dr. Adrian Mallory, a devoted pacifist, passionate about his science, working for a military operation (“Space should be a zone of wonder, not of conflict and death”). His languid, sharp wit and genteel sophistication are the perfect compensation for Carell’s tightly wound, rough, all-by-the-book general, who feels deep but bottle those feelings up, as a good soldier should. Their unlikely friendship, forged in the fire of an almost impossible task, is the heart and soul of the series.

Netflix clearly felt that the series performed well enough to warrant a second season. The season starts a few months after the finale. Angela and her fellow astronauts (including the Chinese) managed to return to Earth, and Space Force is now subject to a disciplinary hearing before the new administration’s Secretary of Defense (Tim Meadows). It turns out Naird is still in charge of Space Force, but the fledgling agency has four months to prove itself – and the budget has been cut in half.

Meanwhile, Angela struggles with her newfound status as a national hero and distances herself from her fledgling relationship with Chan. He pretty much treats it like the lovable nerd he is: by creating a comprehensive flowchart complete with equations to assess the situation. (Dude, take a hint at that returned-text ratio.) Mallory’s beloved manned Mars mission gets the ax, leaving his lone astronaut, Captain Lancaster (Patton Oswalt) in a predicament. Naird’s wife, Maggie, files for divorce, and Erin hesitates about going to college and taking a gap year instead.

The writers do an excellent job of spotlighting each member of the gifted ensemble for their moment. Nor do they skimp on little throwaway comedic moments that can spice up a scene, like the fact that US satellites in the series are all named after 1970s rock bands (Genesis, Rush, Blue Oyster Cult). In the strongest episode, Naird and Mallory host a diplomatic dinner with a visiting delegation from China. Mallory squabbles with the delegation’s chief scientist, a defiant moon landing denier who pricks Mallory by dismissing Neil Armstrong as a “great actor.” Meanwhile, Naird, a notorious lightweight, must stand his ground, shot after shot, against the Chinese general to successfully negotiate a 50/50 split of the moon’s resources.

However, due to the shortened season, S2 just doesn’t have the breathing room to develop the grace notes that so enriched that first season’s stories, especially in regards to the interpersonal relationships. The characters don’t really develop much, which makes that whole aspect feel rather thin. I especially missed the subtle moments between Naird and Mallory, although Carell and Malkovich deliver their usual flawless performances. This is still a delightful, eminently bingeable series, and I’m rooting for a full third season without the limitations of shooting during a full-blown pandemic.

The second season of space power is now streaming on Netflix.

List image by Netflix