Fisk season one was a game changer when it came to good comedic writing coupled with simple yet effective performances. Kitty Flanagan, who has starred in and written this show, managed to create a niche for herself in the first season. The second season by Kitty Flanagan and Tom Peterson is an extension of the world they created in the first installment, and it is far more hilarious.
Spoilers Ahead
What Was Helen Up To?
Helen Tudor-Fisk, attorney at law with Gruber, is back to doing what she does best, which is to fight for the client who hires her and make sure she wins the case. Helen still handles wills and probates as before with the firm. Ever since the award, the number of clients has increased, and minor celebrities have started approaching her for legal matters. Her first client is an elderly lady who legally wants to get rid of a tenant of her deceased mother. The said man refuses to leave the apartment because he claims the lady who passed had promised him some money in the will, and he was her lover as well.
Helen also faces the wrath of a huge copier placed in her new office. Ray, who seems to have begun trusting Helen, starts assigning her high-profile cases to old, existing clients as well. One of them is the son of an old playwright who is making sure his father’s work is not befouled by a group of new-gen artists and plans to sue them for copyright infringement. Helen was forced to be on the playwright’s side despite realizing the original play was misogynistic. The coffee shop that had banned her was replaced by a healthy drink bar, and Helen was in no mood to be lectured on why it could be good for her. Helen was used to being blunt and unintentionally offending people because of her worldview. The condescending nature of the employees at the establishment made her go back to the one-dollar coffee at her supermarket.
Does Viktor Set Her Up For A Date?
Helen’s father’s boyfriend, Viktor, decided to take it upon herself to introduce his soon-to-be stepdaughter to a potential date, in the hope she would not have to live alone. Viktor and her father were lucky to have found each other, as they craved companionship. They would want Helen to find the right partner so either one could help the other navigate life. Helen, on the other hand, is happy with her work and takes her pet for walks regularly. She is just out of a divorce, which was not an amicable split. Helen would rather spend time with herself than pursue a date that might or might not work.
Viktor sets her up with an elderly man, Howard, who seems to have been smitten by the working lady, Helen. It definitely seems Helen is not impressed with Viktor or the date he chose for her. Howard would end up at places that Helen frequented, and it freaked her out. Howard was aggressively following her in the hope that Helen would say yes to him, and he did not stop himself from sharing his fondness for her. Helen was probably not used to such kinds of proposals, which made her back away. She indirectly wanted to let Howard know about her lack of interest in him.
Did Roz Start Her Own Firm?
Roz Gruber finally started her own ‘Conch Mediation firm’, and initially she had planned to look for another place to run her practice. Ray and Helen are upset that Roz’s work with them is ending. Roz could see the demand for mediation services that are required after any major or minor disputes between two people or groups.
Ray is hit by the news of his sister leaving the firm they built together. Gruber and Gruber was their baby, and Roz moving on to a newer venture shocks him, but he is trying to be understanding of what his sister needs to do. After a lot of contemplation, Roz starts her practice inside the Gruber office in the hope she can use Ray and Helen’s clients. Ray was elated to be accommodating his sister. Helen was not elated because she was not a fan of Roz. She was under the impression that with Roz’s exit, Helen could use the office previously occupied by her ex-boss. The only issue with having Roz in the office again is the workload on George, the clerk/receptionist. George was asked to do work for both firms, and it was overwhelming for him. The young man has a life outside of his office and was unable to give his passion any time thanks to his increased workload. Roz turned out to be an upcoming entrepreneur by starting her firm in no time. She could be considered an incredibly resourceful and clever person, despite her obvious flaws.
Why Was Viktor Agitated?
Viktor, on the other hand, was seemingly disturbed by being at home with no project at hand to fulfill. He hoped match-making Helen with Howard could be something he could pursue, but Helen’s rejection made it hard for him to look for that passion. Helen politely asked Viktor not to set her up with anyone, especially men like Howard, who is resorting to stalking her in a bid to get to know her. She and her father could sense Viktor getting agitated. The father and daughter were quick to conclude that Viktor, just like any other retired man, would require a handy project that would keep him busy instead of remaining idle for the foreseeable future.
George, on the other hand, was having a hard time navigating between Roz’s practice as well as Ray and Helen’s clients. He had requested Roz multiple times to hire an assistant for herself to decrease his workload. Roz, on the other hand, was having a hard time choosing a candidate for her office. Helen came to the rescue and offered Viktor, who does not overstep any line and is currently looking for something that would keep him occupied for a long period of time. Roz hires Viktor because he keeps to himself but has excellent organizational skills, which come in handy as an assistant. Even though Roz is the younger person here, there is no disparity based on their age or work experience. Viktor was delighted to have taken up the job. The only drawback could be him being much closer to Helen in proximity than before, which could be an issue for her.
Which Case Led To A Television Journalist Hounding Helen?
Simon Bramovich, a local journalist, is known to run a controversial and campy television news show that has garnered both positive and negative viewership. Helen was inundated by a couple, as the husband was planning to make his new wife the benefactor of all his property. Helen wanted to make sure the man was making the right decision because the new wife seemed like she was with her man for his money. Helen planted the idea of considering his children from a previous marriage to be included in his will as well. The man does as instructed, but he is afraid of his controlling wife and can’t seem to change his mind. His wife overwhelms him with talk about trust issues.
After Helen’s ordeal with this couple, she was informed by an old client that Simon Bramovich had been snooping around her other old clients to acquire more dirt on the work she does as a lawyer. This could be after the award she received; Simon probably needs a target to keep the ratings up. Simon hounded Helen outside her office in a bid to get up close and personal with her. His work is representative of yellow journalism, which is focused on news that ought not to have an impact but distracts the public from real issues. Helen was mortified by the way Simon harangued her in a public street without any intimidation from her end.
Does Helen Win The Defamation Case?
Simon Bramovich’s coverage of Helen’s work could potentially render her out of work and take Gruber’s law firm off the radar as well. This angers Helen because she is aware of the hard work she put in to get to this point, and believes she’s earned it. Helen is not a dramatic person, and she will not react the way Simon does, shouting at and intimidating people into believing his narrative. Ray was upset at the way Helen was being targeted for doing her job. This plot to target her was introduced in the last episode of the second season, but there has been no indication so far of Helen’s career being under threat from a television journalist. This narrative was introduced suddenly, and the focus suddenly went on Helen trying to salvage her image and making sure Simon did not further damage her career. This was also added to discuss the subject of hyper-vigilant journalism.
Ray and Helen decide to file a defamation suit against Simon Bramovich and perhaps issue a gag order on him. Ray used to be a prominent lawyer in the field of defamation and compensation, and he again took up the role to help Helen get out of the mess created by the journalist. All these incidents bring out the hilarity of their daily mundane lives. Helen and Ray finally won the defamation case because Simon’s employers were not interested in fighting the two lawyers. In this age of cancel culture, they do not want to be on the back foot. The wave of being canceled could come from any direction. Simon’s employers were not keen on taking the risk with him and moved him to host a children’s show. They also ended up giving a huge amount as compensation in Helen’s name to Roz’s nonprofit Accapela group, something she was passionate about. As discussed before, Roz is an ardent career woman, and she appreciates Helen’s understanding and her zeal to be successful at every venture.
Fisk Season 2 ends with Helen walking into her office and noticing a big change in the lobby, and she is delighted. It is soon revealed that Helen was made a partner at the firm, and she is more than excited about the new venture she is about to embark on. Helen began her life as an unemployed divorcee, and now her hard work has brought her here and given her the success she deserves. Helen deserves all the accolades coming her way, and Roz is happy for her too. The two might not have similar opinions on many subjects, but they respect each other as women in a world dominated by men. Helen’s name on the board as a partner is what makes Fisk season two a good watch.
