Season one of Amy Schumer’s Life & Beth was an interesting comeback for the comedian. It was one of the many shows that was primarily about women and their lives after the age of 35 and dealing with adulthood. The first season of the show was released in 2022, and the second one was released on February 16, 2024. This Hulu Original show covers a lot about the lives women lead, and it tries to come at things with a realistic approach.
The second season has ten episodes, and the runtime of each one goes from twenty-one minutes to thirty-five, spanning two different timelines. The first timeline has Beth, her friends, and John as adults dealing with their lives. The second timeline is a flashback that shows a teenage Beth dealing with boyfriend troubles and protecting her younger sister Ann. The second season begins with Beth and John dating and getting to know each other deeply. John is honest but does not live up to the expectations Beth has set in her mind.
Meanwhile, John reveals he has no intention of dating anyone else and would like to get married to Beth eventually. This pleasantly surprises Beth, who considers marrying him as his character is the opposite of hers. As they decide to get married in the most unusual of destinations, it marks the beginning of their life as a married couple. What kind of marital woes could the viewers expect when it looks like it’s going to be smooth sailing for the couple? Were Beth’s friends facing marital issues? What incident while in school changed the way Beth looked at life?
Each episode is dedicated to every main character in the show. It is interesting to watch how their story merges with Beth’s. The screenplay for most of the runtime of the entire show is seamless. The only setback for the writers this season was when they went over the board and stretched the screenplay beyond a certain point. This stagnated the show at certain points, and it felt like the screenplay was not moving ahead. It is established that the relations shared between Beth and John were organic, but beyond a certain point in the show, the repetitiveness got annoying, and there was nothing new explored when it came to their matrimony. There was a sense of realism to how they dealt with each other and how pregnancy changed things, but the conflict between them was very simple and did not live up to the drama genre.
The best part of the show, which was the highlight of season one as well, was the female bonding. Female friendships and the sibling dynamics between Beth and Ann are written excellently and showcase how important it is to have women around to uplift each other. These women are brutally honest as well, and remain upfront with each other. The relationship Beth shares with Jen, Jess, Maya, and Ann forms the strong crux of the show, and the writing needs to be commended. There is a lot of relatability in the writing, and it resonates with women of every age who are surrounded by genuine friends.
Another concern was the overstretching of the storylines based on the year 1999. There is a lot of beating around the bush when it comes to dealing with the teenage Beth. There was no new layer added to this subplot. Any other coming-of-age stories that have teenagers headlining the show have the same problems and concerns. Life & Beth hardly explored anything beyond the usual treatment of the changes young girls go through during their late teens.
The show boasts of many writers, including Amy Schumer herself, beautifully bringing out the subject of autism spectrum disorder and people who are diagnosed with it. The performance of the actors in a particular scene where the character has been told about the diagnosis is incredible. The amount of subtlety and finesse with which the scene is written and executed showcases the caliber of the writer, director, and actor to bring out the right kind of emotion. That is a tear-jerking scene, and kudos to everyone who was a part of it. It was interesting how Amy Schumer decided to project autism spectrum disorder and did not make much noise about it or take the preachy route. It was rather an intelligent decision, and after the reveal, the character is not given any special treatment. They lead their lives as normally as they can.
This season did not focus on Beth’s work as much as the first season did. There was a lot of focus, not just on Beth, but on the lives her friends led outside of the friendship. Jen and Jess were given a strong arc. LaVar and Maya are also given a lot more screen time than last time. We wish there was more clarity on where Beth works after having quit the wine company. Matt, as a character, is also given a redemption arc, which comes as a surprise. Leonard, Beth and Ann’s father, is not given much to work on. Just like in the previous season, he and their mother Jane are the reason why the girls turned out to be deeply flawed and initially refused to deal with their trauma.
Women telling women’s stories is the highlight of this season, and Amy Schumer has done a commendable job in that department. The women go through several ups and downs, make mistakes, learn, unlearn, and move on. There is nothing that slows the women down as they march towards fulfilling their goals. The editing was hit-and-miss in several places, as the time jump between the current timeline and the past is abrupt. It takes a few seconds to understand that the setting has changed. The editing in this case must be seamless, or it would confuse the viewers further.
Even though the ending is predictable, it brings out the humor and the drama quite well. The performances, especially by the leads, are incredible. Amy Schumer, who has again donned the hat of actor and creator on the show, brings out earnest emotions and delivers an honest performance of a married woman trying to get a hold of life as surprises keep coming her way. Michael Cera as John is terrific from the start until the end. There is a scene in the show that requires him to maintain his calmness, and he is incredible in it. He is indeed one of the best actors in the show. Susannah Flood as Ann is just as good as Amy Schumer, who is a loner this season but does not allow anyone to shame her for her choices.
Life & Beth season two could not live up to the expectations set by the first one, and it ends up being lukewarm. The show has its moments, but its entirety cannot rely on a few good ones.
