American Vandal Season 2 Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

4. It's Genuinely Poignant & Affecting

American Vandal's inaugural season achieved a surprising mix of gut-laughs and emotionally resonant character development, but the second season's more serious tone allows it to go to some deeper, more affecting places.

It's nothing short of staggering that a show revolving around a fecal terrorist can be this involving on a character-driven dramatic level, but it really is.

Inevitably as the show goes on, we learn more about the complexities of characters who could so easily adhere to brash stereotypes. The majority of the focal figures have some sort of sadness or obstacle in their lives that makes them easily relatable.

That the end of the season might even leave the mildest lump in your throat, after spending just a few scant hours with these characters no less, is a major achievement in scripting and performance. Speaking of which...