After thoroughly enjoying Amandaland season one, I was ready for round two, but the new episodes didn’t always work for me. The new season drops us back into the eponymous Amanda’s (Lucy Punch) world as she desperately struggles to maintain her affluent lifestyle while living in a small apartment in South Harlsden (aka So-Ha!) with her two kids and a retail job (aka a collab).
As a spin-off, it has a brilliant premise and, seeing the Motherland star as a fish-out-of-water in season one, was an utter delight, as was the rich cast of supporting characters who were baffled at her self-centred and delusional perspective on life. There was the will-they-won’t-they of Amanda and Mal (Samuel Anderson), Fi (Rochenda Sandall) and Della’s (Siobhan McSweeney) chaotic marriage, and Joanna Lumley’s reprisal of the inimitable Felicity. And it created one of the best comedic moments on TV in recent years with Anne’s (Phillipa Dunne) perfectly executed R Kelly gag.
Season two doesn’t quite reach those heights, unfortunately. The ensemble cast leans too far into caricature (Fi and Della become almost difficult to watch), which takes away from how uniquely Amanda is disconnected from reality. Having said that, Harriet Webb’s addition to the cast, as the no-nonsense new addition to the crew, helps to mitigate this problem, although I think their fresh dynamic is underused. Elsewhere, the season fell foul to more forced gags and clunky joke-making than I would have liked, making for an awkward feel for a few of the scenes, especially early on.
The season does seem to hit a stride as it goes along, however, with later episodes working better. Another gripe I have is with how Anne’s character has been handled, with episode three hitting an especially low point. Without giving away too much, one subplot felt like a poor-taste Chat GPT advert that landed with a thud for me and almost made me switch off.
Amandaland: Key Details
- Showrunners: Sharon Horgan, Barunka O’Shaughnessy, Helen Serafinowicz and Holly Walsh
- Cast: Lucy Punch, Samuel Anderson, Joanna Lumley, Siobhan McSweeney, Philippa Dunne and Rochenda Sandall
- Runtime: Six episodes, each half an hour
- Release date: Wednesday, May 6
The saving grace of this season was, by far and away, Lucy’s stellar turn as Amanda, a role she has rarely put a foot wrong with since she first starred in Motherland. In fact, the vast majority of moments during this season where I laughed out loud were down to her comedic timing and delivery of some cackle-worthy jokes. She pitches a loan to a bank in a truly bonkers way, delivers a classically egotistical presentation about her influencer brand, Senuous, and continues to deny that her full-time job at a kitchen store is her actual job.
Verdict
The second season had several shaky moments, with one episode an almost total write-off alongside a chaotically used ensemble cast. But Lucy Punch steered the ship with a steady hand, offering a standout performance. She reaches a high point in episode four as she continues her quest to try to upscale her home. Almost single-handedly, her performance dragged me through the lower points of this season and just about made it a worthwhile watch.
The 48-year-old actor manages to somehow put on both an insufferable performance, yet you are still somehow rooting for Amanda – it’s TV magic. If the show trusts its audience to love these characters and the humour they effortlessly bring without trying to shoehorn contrived scenarios, all hope is not lost. Normally, each episode is a sure bet, and I hope it can retain that magic for years to come. If you love Amandaland, then the second season still has something to offer, but it’s entering wobbly territory from which I hope it returns.
Amandaland season two is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
