‘Running Point’ Season 2 Has Got What It Takes

Running Point is back to score some more sports comedy wins. In Season 2, Isla (Kate Hudson) is on the up and up—she’s got a romance game plan, the Los Angeles Waves are flourishing, and she’s gunning for a championship ring. But we all know that juggling that many goals is a whole lotta work, and some things are gonna get dropped. 

And dropped they get, hard—especially where her brothers are concerned. Cam (Justin Theroux) is up to some old tricks again, and it really doesn’t take much for the other siblings to get sucked into his whirlwind of destruction. With some new players on the bench, a new head coach (played with melancholic wit by comedic legend Ray Romano), and new investors coming in hot, there are even more egos for Isla to placate (or pop, depending on what mood she’s in that day). 

If S1 was an underdog story, S2 is about what it takes to stay top dog; Isla is still being pushed to prove herself, even though she’s been that leader for a minute now. And as her focus narrows on winning the season, her personal relationships are destined to take a hit. Hudson brings her usual sparkling charm to keep you both laughing with and cheering for Isla; she carries the emotional core of this series with grace. Her ability to balance excellent physical comedy with magnetism—playing Isla as a (mostly) put-together successful woman who’s still a little sheltered from actual real-world problems—is still thoroughly entertaining.

And on a side note, as a woman watching this: Even in a show as comedic and lighthearted as Running Point, I still felt that undeniable undercurrent of rage for every woman who’s ever had to work twice as hard to get half as far, and to be doubted and sabotaged every step of the way by decidedly mediocre men. Anyway. What was I saying?

Sandy (Drew Tarver) gets doubly wrapped up in a relationship and in a financial pickle he doesn’t quite know how to handle. Meanwhile, Ness (Scott MacArthur) has some big ideas and some even bigger comedy bits (and yes, he’s still bringing up his short-lived basketball career). Waves MVP Marcus (Toby Sandeman) clashes with the new coach, while Dyson (Uche Agada) sees his interest on and off the court skyrocketing. As for Travis (Chet Hanks)? Well, he’s just bein’ Travis (and Hanks plays him so well). 

There are also some lovely moments of growth and self-worth sprinkled throughout the season; Ali (Brenda Song) stands up for what she knows she deserves, while Jackie (Fabrizio Guido) has to choose between following his heart or his dreams. Those two easily became my S2 MVPs; Song and Guido are so wonderfully charming and bounce off the rest of the cast with style.

Now the characters are all settled into their respective grooves, the comedy comes naturally, and so do the dynamics. Their idiosyncrasies run the gamut from totally grating to totally relatable. The pop culture references are fast and snappy, written with just as much zing as they are meant to show how out of touch the wealthy truly are. But it’s the little fourth-wall breaks with references to the cast’s other works that steal the show (as do the cameos, which are **chef’s kiss**).

With its second season, Running Point builds on the momentum of S1 to push Isla and her crew to new limits—and with a workplace as endearingly dysfunctional as this, that means a whole lot more hilarious courtside drama. Waves, for the win!