The Los Angeles Waves basketball team is back for another season, and so is Isla Gordon in Netflix’s comedy Running Point. While Season 1 found Isla (Kate Hudson) finding her footing as the team’s new president, Season 2 presents new challenges as they try to go all the way for a championship, her brother Cam returns to the fold, and she juggles her love life.
The show, from executive producers Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen, had an entertaining but bumpy first season as it tried to figure out what it was. Was it a sports comedy? Workplace comedy? Romantic comedy?
With Season 2, it has found a winning formula that seamlessly blends those things, rather than the genres competing. It lets the cast shine in their respective roles and plays to their strengths.
It’s not a surprise they lean into the rom-com angle for Hudson, who is a queen of the genre, while also letting her flex her general comedy muscles. Without spoiling anything, there are plenty of cringe AND swoon-worthy moments as Isla prepares to marry Lev (Max Greenfield) while also grappling with her unresolved feelings for former coach Jay (Jay Ellis).
Hudson may be the poster star, but the strong ensemble cast and the rotating great comedic guest stars make the show sing. After all, a girl needs her bff and annoying brothers, and without Ness (Scott MacArthur), Sandy (Drew Tarver), and Ali (Brenda Song) to play off of, Isla would be a lot less fun.
Jackie (Fabrizio Guido) is also given better storylines this season as he becomes more integrated into the Gordon family and is forced to choose loyalties in the Isla versus Cam battle.
Sitcom veteran Ray Romano joins as the hangdog coach Norm Stinson, and his analog ways are a nice contrast to the painfully “LA” Gordon family. Ken Marino and Ike Barinholtz also join in recurring roles and are typecast respectively as a dirtbag and a doofus, like they are in so many roles, but it’s two archetypes they play well, and I will never pass up watching them do.
There is a fine balance of the season-long conflict of Cam (Justin Theroux) conniving to get his job back and oust Isla with the “episode-of-the-week” conflicts. (Netflix may do a binge release, but the show could easily succeed with a weekly drop without it messing up the pacing.)
Some conflicts are more fun than others, including an episode that features the dancers going on strike right as Isla crashes out about being a bad person. The forced drama of Ali leaving the Waves and Dyson’s love triangle with teammate Travis and an actress are less interesting material for the actors.
Running Point’s jokes may not be reinventing the wheel (we get it, people in Canada are too nice!), but they’re steady and hit the spot. I was tickled to learn that Ness is now on Bluesky, a callback to his Twitter obsession in Season 1.
Running Point is comedy comfort food: a show you can tune in to, root for the characters, and have a low-stress, fun time. If you weren’t sure after Season 1, don’t throw in the towel yet and give it another chance.