Come for the humor, stay for the suspense and social commentary–a formula that drew so many binge-watchers to the first season of the hit Netflix show American Vandal, the mockumentary blends absurdist humor and crime investigation like no other before, simultaneously causing the audience to howl in laughter while also engaging their minds in an attempt to uncover the true culprit.
The second season was released September 14, following–once again–aspiring documentarians Peter and Sam, as they attempt to uncover the truth behind a series of feces-related pranks.
The mystery of the “Turd Burglar” ultimately can’t live up to the delight that is season one. The best aspect of the first season is undoubtedly its character development; the arc of protagonist Dylan Maxwell (Jimmy Tatro) is especially compelling, appearing as a stereotype of the prank-loving stoner until audience members realize just how much more to him there is than what meets the eye. Season two simply doesn’t have that kind of depth to its characters, and as a result, it’s difficult to be as invested in the story.
However, the second season’s major accomplishment is its extremely clever and important weaving of societal messages into the plot, which builds upon themes from the first season. “American Vandal” understands contemporary teen interaction through social media perhaps better than any TV show before it. Season Two in particular brilliantly conveys two sides of an extremely important topic. It warns of the dangers of overexposure through social media while also showing that it’s okay and understandable to experiment with your image as a growing adult, because that’s how we find out who we truly are.
The contrast between the juvenile, “potty humor” and intelligent commentary is wonderfully done by creators Tony Yacenda and Daniel Perrault. It is for this reason alone, that season two deserves to be viewed, paid attention to, and contemplated long after the credits roll on the final episode.