Whenever a TV show makes a time jump, there are plenty of elements that jump the shark leading to the series. Personality changes can feel artificial, plot points can feel recycled, and worst of all: the audience can feel that there was no point in moving the story forward in the timeline. So realizing Season 2 on Apple TV+ is very satisfying swagger A Masterclass in Time Jumps: We’re chronologically four years away from Season 1, but it feels like we’ve been stuck with those characters for the entire gap.
First evidence of this swagger It was actually in season 1 how to tell the location of the story in time. From the beginning, the series made it clear that it would take place during the pandemic, which many productions always avoid. Then the show confirmed that Letting its story play out during the pandemic It was vital, because the time brought race, prejudice and double standards to the center of the conversation. Hence the setting for season 2 swagger Four years later does wonders for the series. We’ve seen those underprivileged boys — and families — suffer through a system designed to fail them, so while the new batch of episodes shows them in a better place and headspace, both they and the series have earned it. We didn’t need to follow these characters struggling for four seasons. Instead, we can (mostly) celebrate their genius.
‘Swagger’ Season 2 is a celebration of black talent
Although swagger While it celebrates kids (and adults) for their achievements, it never lets you forget that no matter what position they’re in, black people will always have to deal with some form of racism. This can range from something as simple as seeing someone’s hair as “outside” to the kind of stance they are invited to take. like Tanya (Christina Jackson) arc making it clear, micro-attacks are plentiful and hard to pull out, which translates to breaking the glass ceiling even when you don’t have the strength to do so.
In that sense, bringing back a certain character and storyline from Season 1 helps underline this greatly: when you look at the situation that Jess (Isaiah and Hill) and his friends are suddenly faced with, you can’t help but notice that for a Caucasian boy, the same situation would be dismissed with a slap on the wrist – not to mention the kind of support they’d get from the media and the public simply because it’s Jess. , terrorizing his family, Coach Edwards (O’Shea Jackson)And everyone around them is enough to show the series how black people aren’t allowed to take their position for granted.
‘Swagger’ season 2 brings the best episodes of the series so far
That particular story and the way it unfolds makes a subtle comment that can come out if you really stop to dwell on it, but swagger An entire episode split for viewers who need something more tangible to chew on. Episode 5, titled “Are We Free?”, stands as perhaps the best episode of the series, and its opening scene is a punch to the gut that you can never prepare for.
Swagger Season 2 does really well with Phil’s specific journey (Solomon Irama), which, like other arcs in the series, is a satisfying payoff to the story set in Season 1. Shinel Azroh’s beautiful performance), we now see something that TV and movies often fail to show: reconciliation, family reconstruction, forgiveness and reconciliation. Better yet, it’s done in a way that feels organic and well-paced.
said, swagger If you come just for the basketball, it still delivers. The matches here are a little less intense, but they play like a natural evolution as Jess and his team are much more confident in their position this time around. However, cutting game time too much takes away some of the passion, especially after Season 1 showed that cutting back on game and practice time made them more energetic and enthusiastic.
Swagger Season 2 It makes it quite clear that some messages must be repeated, and some points must always be made. Black and POC victories and achievements need to be celebrated and normalized every time and never taken for granted because they can be taken away from us in the blink of an eye. The season finale is a testament to that, and even if the series isn’t renewed for a Season 3 — the finale could wrap up the series on its own — the message was heard loud and clear.
Rating: a-
Swagger Season 2 Premieres June 23 on Apple TV+.
