American Vandal: Season 2 Review

I didn't review the first season of American Vandal, but suffice to say, I adored it. The expert cinematography that made me feel like I was watching a true documentary, the hilarious, albeit at times childish, themes and dialogue, and the wonderful characterization and acting was all spectacular; it hooked me so well that I binged all eight episodes the night the season dropped. The most fascinating thing about it, however, was the insight it had into the lives of teenagers in high school, the politics of running an educational institution, and the tragedy that can befall people who are taken over by the perception of others. As far as season two goes, you can expect more of the same, but being that it's the second time around, it's not as refreshing or original as you may remember it.

Peter and Sam, above, are all about
defending Kevin, below

Like I said, the cinematography, as well as the editing, are absolutely stellar. The production value in it of itself is part of the comedy when the context is presented that it's produced by a Californian high school AV Club. But we're not set in California this time around. Our main producers and investigators Peter Maldonado (Tyler Alvarez) and Sam Ecklund (Griffin Gluck) take their winter break time and travel up to Bellevue, Washington to complete their senior projects by investigating an out-of-state true crime mystery. It turns out that the Season One of American Vandal that we knew wasn't the same one Peter and Sam originally uploaded to Vimeo. After being reached out by Netflix, Peter and Sam are in the big leagues: bigger production, bigger team, and bigger mystery. Because up in St. Bernadine Catholic School, a vandal was able to poison the cafeteria lemonade, forcing all of the students to make a bowel movement immediately. Video was captured, shame was brought upon people, and the school board and local authorities were being heavily pressured to take action. And after seemingly forcing to take the fall, we have another supposed victim for a crime he didn't commit: Kevin McClain (Trevor Tope). Less immediately sympathetic than our previous victim Dylan Maxwell (Jimmy Tatro) and played with less humor, McClain is still becoming of a wrongly accused individual who is dripping with reasonable doubt.

Tillerman (left) is a prime suspect
this season.

Contrasting Kevin is the other star of this season, Demarcus Tillman (Melvin Gregg). In terms of character, Tillman is able to provide a number of interesting character perspectives; for starters, being able to follow someone who is so immediately likable is a character that wasn't accessible in the toolbox for season one. Characters and actors can be likable, but Tillman is most obviously the most popular person in school. He's got influence, he's got charisma, and he's got real social capital. It opens up avenues for discussion around the need for schools to use students to make money, something older high school students and college kids can speak to very clearly. But Tillman's charisma also provides some brevity in a somewhat darker season. Things get real this time around.

Not that things weren't ever real. The stakes simply feel higher. Peter and Sam are in a completely new environment, but the stakes are different. They aren't connect to these students in the same way they are to their classmates back home. They're free to get more into the down and dirty. They've got the liberty of the school to be more investigative. The problem becomes, thematically, that they don't go quite as deep as they do with their previous investigation. That can come down to the fact that they found answers elsewhere, but I was personally disappointed to see that seeds planted about investigating school corruption weren't really followed up on; and if they were they were in the most minute of ways. It leaves for opportunity to focus more on students, but even then it feels lesser. Teachers aren't as involved (despite the fact that they probably should be) and the number of the students that feature importance seems lesser. Being in a private religious school should be a perfect avenue for this kind of social commentary, and offer more voices to be heard, but they simply aren't. It's one of those shortcomings that doesn't detract from the actual finished product, but it makes a viewer and audience member wish there was more done to explore on that particular front.

But overall, it's still a strong season for this show. It proves that American Vandal has the strength, wit, and talented storytelling to continue on for years to come. Peter and Sam should be finished by high school by the time a season three (fingers crossed!) should be coming around, so what's to explore? They're clearly both intelligent and set to go to successful colleges, which offer more beyond a high school AV club. But they're working with Netflix, the most successful streaming entertainment service around. Why should they slow down? I'm personally invested for the long-term future of this show. It's now a tradition that I binge it all at once the Friday that it's released in September. I can't wait until next year!

Rating: 8.75/10