Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 2 Review

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-)

Created by:  Robert Carlock, Tina Fey
Starring:  Ellie Kemper, Jane Krakowski, Tituss Burgess 
Rating: TV-14

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Unbounded wacky exuberance.

Plot:
In season one Kimmy was rescued from an underground bunker where she was one of many wives to a cult leader. Continuing from season one, her upbeat attitude helps her brave adversity no matter the circumstance. To note, this is a comedy.

Verdict:
This is a silly show. It's funny, relying on rapid delivery, wordplay, and non-sequiturs geared for a generation knowledgeable about the 80's to understand all the references. It's not so much laugh out loud funny, but it is clever and witty. The first episode this season is a miss, but after that it finds its stride. If you aren't interested after the first four episodes, don't expect the show to change.
This isn't my style of show and not something that would be on my watch list, but I can appreciate the writing and humor, but I'm not left craving a third season. It is a better comedy than many of Netflix's other offerings.
It depends.


Season 1 Recap
This show is for a specific audience that isn't necessarily me. I'm probably the target generation, but the overall lunacy doesn't quite grab me. It's silly fun where Kimmy takes children to play Ninja Turtles in the actual sewer and a closeted construction worked has the "hot chick" Tilda Swinton air brushed onto the back of his truck.

It's hard not be charmed by Kimmy's childlike exuberance. Despite the show's silly nature, it's underpinnings are quite serious. Kimmy was imprisoned for fifteen years where her mental development completely stopped. She's a child in an adult's body.
The second episode is definitely better than the first. The writing is good and the jokes are solid, relying on wordplay.
Episode six ends will a full blown Mentos parody commercial. Episode eight makes a Dawson's Creek joke that segues into Joshua Jackson who launches into a Dawson's Creek rant.
In episode nine Tina Fey appears as a drunken Uber passenger who becomes Kimmy's therapist, helping her deal with her kidnapping and imprisonment.
This season almost merits a second watch. It's easy to miss some of the joke setups. There's a Lance Bass joke set up early that pays off much later.
There are plenty of cameos with Jeff Goldblum, Lia Kudrow, and David Cross among others.
The arcs this season don't slow the season down until the last episode, exploring more serious territory, though not in a serious way, resolving story lines that have been built. This focus loses some of the shows humor, but the final episode sets up an arc for next season.
I didn't like any of the Jane Krakowsi segments. Kimmy's story line has progressed past that part, and it just seems odd to focus on this side character.