While Netflix’s FUBAR is certainly a vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger to reach back to his gun-toting, one-liner-slinging, world-saving onscreen heyday, what makes the action-comedy worth watching is the interpersonal drama of its main cast – it’s a show that works best when it centers on the relationships between father-daughter CIA operatives Luke and Emma Brunner (Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro) and the rest of its ensemble. Unfortunately, the newly released second season doesn't fully capitalize on that quality. Instead, it leans on subpar action and awkward subplots between new characters, resulting in an entertaining batch of episodes undercut by some thematic missteps.
Picking up months after the first season’s cover-blowing cliffhanger, season 2 finds Luke and Emma living in a safe house alongside their family, friends, and a handful of “associates.” It’s an odd predicament that affords a few laughs, with trained agents living side-by-side with civilians who don’t quite understand why they're attacked every time they leave the premises. (In one misguided trip, a birthday party at a Chuck E. Cheese-esque family fun center comically ends in bloodshed and destroyed animatronics.)
Yet despite a premise that lays a strong foundation for some high-stakes hijinks, it’s often the weaker aspects of the plot that get emphasized. The overarching, potentially world-ending dilemma that forces Luke’s team out of hiding is interesting, and the conflicts that erupt between missions are occasionally funny, but they’re overwhelmed by FUBAR’s yawn-inducing shootouts and underwhelming fight sequences. Season 1 set the bar for action extremely low, and season 2 trips right over it. The same can be said for the near-constant mishaps that plague the characters. Predictable or not, most of Luke’s explosive blunders have lost their luster this time around.
But that’s nothing compared to the various love triangles that crop up this season, beginning with the arrival of Greta Nelso (Carrie-Anne Moss), an ex-East German spy and Luke’s former lover. Moss does her best to ham it up opposite Schwarzenegger, and it works in parts, namely whenever they’re commiserating on how old they’ve both gotten. But because much of the plot hinges on Greta attempting to woo Luke away from his no-longer-quite-so-ex-wife Tally (Fabiana Udenio), most of their exchanges are awkward, packed with cringe-inducing dialogue. During these scenes, the pacing drags to a halt; for a season that ends with a reflection on the importance of family and life-long friendship, there’s too much time spent on this dead-end courtship.
The real fun lies within the confines of the crowded CIA safe house. Being cooped up with antsy co-workers and emotionally distraught family members is rough. That’s to say nothing of the weird dynamic between Emma, Tally, and their respective exes Carter (Jay Baruchel) and Donnie (Andy Buckley). Baruchel’s depiction of a kindhearted school teacher who’s totally out of his depth in the world of international espionage is amusing. Meanwhile, Buckley’s apathetic line delivery and off-putting mannerisms really sell Donnie’s post-breakup, mid-sequestration blues. It makes sense that he’d grow somewhat antisocial: He has to listen to Luke and Tally rekindle their romance through the house’s hilariously thin walls. His reluctance to bathe, eat cereal with milk (he’d rather use beer), or wear pants during tense moments presents an entirely different level of standoffish behavior. Yet, Buckley’s deadpan approach to this despair provides the humor, especially in his scenes with Baruchel.
Though a lot of the season’s humor comes from the characters not getting along, moments showcasing their willingness to work together are just as engaging. Schwarzenegger and Barbaro’s dynamic resonates thanks to a shift in tone: While Luke and Emma still clash from time to time, their newfound sense of trust and mutual respect for one another makes for some pleasantly meaningful interactions. It's nice to see them take down random mercenaries together, too. There may not be anything particularly impressive about the way that taking down is shot or staged, but Barbaro's spry and sure-footed athleticism complements Schwarzennegger's more "seasoned" (read: a lower level of intensity befitting the now 77-year-old Terminator) approach to combat. Fortune Feimster and Travis Van Winkle still entertain as CIA agents Roo and Aldon, though due to circumstances that force them apart, they don’t share as much screen time together as I would’ve hoped. And Milan Carter’s Berry continues to be a charming guy in the chair, his devotion to the group leading to some of this season’s most heartfelt moments.
