Crime may not always pay, but it certainly carries a high degree of risk that might not make the aim at all worth it. Robbing people’s houses in your own neighborhood is particularly ballsy, but it does make for great television. Your Friends & Neighbors returns for a second season that finds its protagonist in the clear legally with his life going much better for him, but, as is often the case, the allure of getting away with just a little more is too appealing. Fortunately for audiences, this world is well worth revisiting for an even more enticing second trip.
Coop (Jon Hamm) is back in everyone’s good graces, no longer a murder suspect but still spending his nights breaking into the houses of his neighbors with the help of Elena (Aimee Carrero), who’s feeling a little less comfortable and more pressed for cash than her well-off partner. The arrival of the enigmatic Owen Ashe (James Marsden) shakes things up as he expresses an immediate interest in local pariah Sam (Olivia Munn) and catches Coop red-handed, enlisting him for a lucrative job opportunity that brings him into an entirely new world of danger.
This show works so well because it isn’t just about Coop, even if Hamm does serve as the narrator. In a sense, that device should feel strange since audiences are watching events play out in real time, and voiceover can fill in gaps of what’s not shown or might have happened earlier or later. In this case, it’s helpful since Coop says so little of what he’s thinking, and so the extra insight into his brain makes the experience of watching this show that much richer because Hamm’s performance is so deliberately restrained.
Following very successful and well-received appearances in Jury Duty and Paradise, Marsden notches another TV role that makes terrific use of his talents. He’s at once impossibly charming and comfortable in this new community, but he also shares little of his own background aside from vague hints that it’s not something he likes talking about – or should. It’s just the right mix of charisma and chilling seriousness to elevate a show with an already excellent ensemble and not take away from that formidable established cast.
This season brings rich storylines for Munn, with Sam struggling to find any friends in the wake of the truth about Paul’s death, Amanda Peet, as a lonely Mel is tormented by an obnoxious neighbor’s dog constantly defecating on her lawn, and Hoon Lee, as Barney takes a more active role in all of Coop’s business. There’s also time for Ali (Lena Hall) to take on a new and more straightforward job that makes her consider what’s important and for Elena to feel the weight of her life catching up to her. Even the next generation gets some romance and education-related drama.
In each episode of this show, it feels like Coop is flying too close to the sun and is fully aware of the precarious position in which he’s putting himself. Yet he’s hopeless to resist, and audiences will likely echo that sentiment. It’s hard not to be captivated by the story of someone living in a world of wealth and excess taking things from his supposed friends that they’ll never even know are missing, yet Coop isn’t painted as a saint who can do no wrong. This show doesn’t cast judgment on its characters but certainly shines a light on both their positive traits and their flaws, putting it all out there for audiences to see and assess on their own.
While Coop’s break-ins are undeniably enticing, it’s also a treat to see this whole group of high-society members together, which happens on multiple occasions. The highlight in season two is a Passover seder, complete with narrated commentary from Coop about the meaning of the rituals and participation by a handful of guests. By showing the full picture, the good and the bad, of these people whose worries and wants should theoretically be very different from those who don’t have nearly as much, this show charts a very insightful and rewarding course that’s constantly and consistently engaging.
Season grade: 8/10
