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Steve Carell's 'Space Force' returns to Netflix but does it improve on the first season?

Space Force. (L to R) John Malkovich as Dr. Adrian Mallory, Steve Carell as General Mark Naird in episode 202 of Space Force. (Netflix)
Space Force. (L to R) John Malkovich as Dr. Adrian Mallory, Steve Carell as General Mark Naird in episode 202 of Space Force. (Netflix)

Space Force, Netflix's workplace comedy from the creative minds behind The Office, returns for a second series on Friday. The hit and miss first season launched to mixed reviews in May 2020, not before a second season was greenlit by the streaming platform.

But has the show learned from its mistakes, or does it fail to launch like its predecessor? Martin Carr takes a look.

For anyone under the illusion that life rarely imitates art, on 19 December, 2020 Space Force celebrated its two-year anniversary. Sporting a logo which would give the creators of Star Trek grounds for copyright breach, this legitimate government agency has a solid set of ambiguous objectives.

Read more: Is Space Force based on reality?

They include, but are not limited to, providing the United States with freedom of operation in space. A definition anyone would consider woolly irrespective of their political allegiances. Ripe for satirical pot shots and indicative of Trump administration initiatives, when Netflix greenlit Space Force the series, it suggested that fact and fiction had finally coalesced.

Space Force. (L to R) Tawny Newsome as Angela Ali, Diana Silvers as Erin Naird, Don Lake as Brad Gregory, Steve Carell (Netflix)
Space Force. (L to R) Tawny Newsome as Angela Ali, Diana Silvers as Erin Naird, Don Lake as Brad Gregory, Steve Carell (Netflix)

Created by Steve Carrell and Greg Daniels (Parks & Recreation/The Office), it walked a fine line between situational farce and broad political satire, headed up by Carrell as General Mark R. Naird. With John Malkovich on board as his chief scientific advisor Doctor Adrian Mallory, Space Force found its comedy in bureaucratic double dealing and flagrant miscommunication.

From the postponement of a scheduled launch through self-interest, to hijacking military satellites for personal errands, this series revelled in the absurd extremes of humanity.

Watch a trailer for Netflix's Space Force S2

Some solid gold cameos also helped make things memorable, whether that was Patrick Warburton as a Commandant of the Marine Corps, or Jane Lynch popping up as the Chief of Naval Operations.

Space Force benefitted from an impressive ensemble cast, some eccentric performances and the scathingly sarcastic double act of Carrell and Malkovich on top form. However, as this first season got past the satire and really delved into character, Space Force became something else.

Read more: Everything new on Netflix in February 2022

Beyond the bravado and bickering which defined Mallory and Naird, there existed some genuine affection as it dawned on both that they were better off working together. As much as that opening season never lost sight of the ridiculous, whether through the multimedia obsessed military advisor F. Tony Scarapiducci, or Don Lake’s dense Brad Gregory, this slowly became about that central relationship.

Space Force (Netflix)
Space Force (Netflix)

A defining connection which is explored further in mark two, following General R. Naird’s decision to leave everyone hanging in the first season closer.

In the main, Space Force uses this second run to focus on seven central characters, all interconnected, who form a surrogate family of sorts. Highlights beyond the main pairing of Malkovich and Carrell, include Jimmy O.Yang as Doctor Chan Kaifang alongside Tawny Newsome’s Captain Angela Ali.

Many of the character moments which bring depth to their exchanges stem from an inability to communicate. Comedy comes from their clash of ideologies, as scientific theory meets aeronautic fact within a dating equation.

Space Force. Ben Schwartz as F. Tony Scarapiducci in episode 207 of Space Force. (Netflix)
Space Force. Ben Schwartz as F. Tony Scarapiducci in episode 207 of Space Force. (Netflix)

Elsewhere, Ben Schwartz builds on the idiosyncrasies of F. Tony Scarapiducci, who forms a connection with Chan in his misguided efforts to help his love life. Beyond that, he represents a fast talking media savvy team player, who allows his intellect and good intentions to instigate farcical situations. Scarapiducci also manages to mine comedy gold from phone addiction, without losing the audience or trivialising a recognised condition.

John Malkovich also continues his home run from season one, by making Mallory disarmingly awkward yet instantly relatable. Throughout this show, he consistently demonstrates how being the smartest person around might not always be an advantage.

With a pitch perfect performance, Mallory talks himself into a position of authority, before unconsciously undoing all that good work. Whether admonishing the top brass for scrimping on an executive dining room, or throwing a coherent paddy fit at an inanimate vending machine, Malkovich is every inch the clueless straight man.

Space Force (Netflix)
Space Force (Netflix)

Meanwhile, Steve Carrell brings more humanity to General R. Naird through a combination of paternal instinct and simple awareness within the role. Those uptight undercurrents which so defined him in the initial run are less prominent, while his innate comic timing is given room to breathe. In the small moments alongside Don Lake’s Brad Gregory or Malkovich’s insufferable Mallory, Naird serves as the defining element which holds things together.

Whether in moments of delicate etiquette between visiting dignitaries, or small personal scenes opposite Diana Silvers’ Erin Naird, there is a distinct sense of character progression during this sophomore effort.

Even in the face of escalating farce, when Space Force drifts back into Doctor Strangelove territory, season two still feels like a polished product with purpose. That it consistently builds on the ludicrous, whilst keeping those relationships front and centre is fundamental to why this continues to work so well.

Space Force. (L to R) Diana Silvers as Erin Naird, Tawny Newsome as Angela Ali in episode 201 of Space Force. (Diyah Pera/Netflix)
Space Force. (L to R) Diana Silvers as Erin Naird, Tawny Newsome as Angela Ali in episode 201 of Space Force. (Diyah Pera/Netflix)

On every conceivable level, Space Force had no right to be anything other than an expensive misfire. A-list actors and big money streamers have collaborated before, with varying degrees of success. With such a contentious topic, irrespective of the satirical edge, this should have only lasted one season.

That Steve Carrell and Greg Daniels have not only created something solid, but a farcical dramedy with depth is worth mentioning more than once. Not only that, but on the strength of this, there is no reason why a concluding season is out of the question.

Space Force S2 hits Netflix on Friday, 18 February.