A Man on the Inside Season 2 Review

Season 2 of A Man on the Inside continues in the tradition of feel-good comedies from Michael Schur, capturing most of the charm of the first season.

In season 2, Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson, of The Good Place) is interested in tackling a juicy case. He loved getting to know the people at Pacific View and maintains his friendship with Calbert (Stephen McKinley Henderson, of Good Fortune), but he wants something that has a little more heft. So when Wheeler College president Jack Beringer (Max Greenfield, of Running Point) approaches Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) about a blackmail case, Charles is immediately intrigued. 

He goes undercover at the college as a visiting lecturer in architecture, hoping to get close to the staff to determine who might have stolen Berenger’s laptop, which contained information about a huge deal he was cutting with Wheeler alum and billionaire Brad Vinick (Gary Cole, of The Good Wife). Along the way, he makes a connection with professor of music Mona Margadoff (Mary Steenburgen, of Nightmare Alley), who stirs something in him that he thought that perhaps he had lost following the death of his wife. 

Season 2 of A Man on the Inside starts off feeling more like it wants to occupy the space that Only Murders in the Building fills, and it makes it hard to connect for about the first three episodes. It’s not that it’s bad, but we already have a really excellent mystery show with older protagonists, and this felt like a not-as-good version of that. But once it settles into the relationship aspect, which is what sets Schur’s work apart from others, the show starts to take off. 

Part of what hinders this season is the relationship between Charles and Mona. One would expect that the chemistry between a real-life married couple would make it electric onscreen, and it’s not the fault of Danson and Steenburgen. The issue is that Charles is a really fleshed-out character, whereas Mona feels almost like a caricature of an artsy teacher. Honestly, their storyline was the one that always felt the most frustrating as I watched the season. And while one can never fault David Strathairn for being one note, his character would have been incredibly flat in less capable hands. 

That said, there are some truly compelling stories. The best one is between Julie and her mother, Vanessa (Constance Marie). It explores complex family dynamics really beautifully, especially between adult children and their parents. We get some of that with Emily (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, of Red One), but after the resolution they experienced in the first season, that is carried largely by the story between Julie and Vanessa. That we get Schur regular Jason Mantzoukas as Vanessa’s flaky boyfriend is just icing on the cake. 

The gang from Pacific View does make an appearance this season for one episode, which was the perfect amount. It was fun getting to catch up with them, and their role in the case is quite entertaining. I also appreciated the restraint shown in limiting them to a single episode. It would have been easy to lean on what worked in the first season of A Man on the Inside, so it was good to see the writers avoid that trap. 

One story that caught me off guard but worked was the midlife career burnout we see with Emily. Discovering that you’re dissatisfied in your profession in your forties is common, but not something that is often shown on screen. The way that it’s handled is also a bit more nuanced than one might expect from a television show. It’s a minor aspect of the season, but it adds a lot to that character.

Overall, season 2 of A Man on the Inside is a solid watch. It is a lovely defense of the small, liberal arts college, and also of the need for the arts in education. And it proudly shows that regardless of your age, there is always more to knowledge to be gained if you’re open to learning.

Season 2 of A Man on the Inside is now available to stream globally on Netflix.