English Teacher (Season 2)

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⭐ 9/10

The highly anticipated second season of a show my wife and I both loved! This was on par with season one, no real low spots, but it didn't take the leap the way I wanted it to. However, episode 3 was one of the funniest things I have seen in a long time, me and Jess were crying with laughter. Lots in common with the dinner party episode of The Office, kind of the same setup actually, and they crushed it, each character going through some uncomfortable or awkward situation. It was written by Stephanie Koenig, who also stars in the show, and its really cool that she got the chance to own an episode and absolutely crushed it.

My favourite thing about this show is its two-sided takes on modern issue. Evan is super liberal, but teaching at a school in Texas, and his ultra-annoying fixations and stances are played well against some more apathetic teachers, or even teachers with opposing views. Its refreshing to hear genuine pushback to hot button issues of the day, without it being confrontational or polarizing to the point of total alienation. Its a funny show, and it gets a ton of credit for tackling "wokeness" head. The perspective of the students especially is funny, and I would guess realistic, blunt but not as existential as those of the teachers, or just Evan's in most cases.

We are talking about Covid. We are talking about recycling and whether or not it even matters. An amazing episode on DEI. One about an army recruiter at the school. A hilarious bit about how they need to coddle particular students because of everything around mental health and what each individual student requires. All things that could be super political, or that they could take a hard stance one way or another on, but they simply make some jokes about it without judging or making you hate anyone, and then move on. Its really impressive, something a lot of shows would shy away from, or get all virtue-signally about. Great stuff.

Both seasons have kind of dull finales, which hurts it, but the high-highs and consistent laughs make this our favourite show to watch. I think the jokes per minute (JPM) have been cranked up a bit this season, and all the teachers get their moments to shine. If you are resisting this show, soften your heart and let some light in.

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