The Reel Review
Sam eventually starts to address her abandonment issues, Joel gets a boyfriend and Trish copes with life as a divorcée as she and Sam must face what to do with their mother’s worsening dementia, in Season Two of this winsome dramedy series starring Bridget Everett. Set in Kansas, Somebody Somewhere is about life, death, and the day-to-day challenges faced by everyday people.
After a really charming first season, Season 2 and its seven quick 30-minute episodes get down to intimately exploring the show’s characters, and in doing so, provide even stronger and more compelling storytelling. Mary Catherine Garrison in particular is a standout as Sam’s now-divorced sister Trish, whose hilarious social media post about her husband-stealing, former business partner inadvertently launches the now empty-nester on a new career path. And Barbara Robertson tugs at the heartstrings as Sam’s vocal coach Darlene.
The beauty of this feel-good series is in how relatable, authentic and likable the characters are. The relationship between Everett’s deeply insecure but talented Sam and Hiller’s sunny optimist Joel is like peanut butter and chocolate – each good, together great. And the portrait of LGBTQ+ life in a conservative red state is important representation. Drag King Murray Hill has terrific energy as Fred. In Season 1, Somebody Somewhere found its footing. In Season 2 the subtle, heartfelt series, with its message about growth from change, really soars.
REEL FACTS
• The Season 2 finale pays a special tribute of sorts to Mike Hagerty, who portrayed Sam’s father until his death in May 2022 from a seizure brought on by antibiotics for a leg infection.
• In addition to her television (Veep) and film roles, Mary Catherine Garrison has acted in several Broadway productions and runs an online pottery business. She lives with her husband Marshall Wood in Lynchburg, Virginia.
• HBO has already announced there will be a Season 3 of Somebody Somewhere.
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