The LA Waves are back with a new coach and familiar problems in Running Point Season 2, Episode 1, “New Coach Who Dis.” This episode, written by Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, & David Stassen and directed by Stassen, feels like a welcome return to the wacky heart and humor that made the sports comedy stand out in its freshman run. That said, as a season premiere, “New Coach, Who Dis” doesn’t forecast what’s to come for that many characters. Of course, the team and staff want to win it all after Season 1.
To that point, Running Point needs to focus on the players’ interpersonal dynamics in the season ahead. “New Coach Who Dis” serves as a reminder that the show has only gotten to know Dyson, Marcus, and Travis, and this season has the chance to expand that. Meanwhile, the conflict and chemistry between the Gordon siblings remain Running Point’s greatest strengths. Plus, Ray Romano’s turn as coach Norm Stinson and Brenda Song as Ali Lee have the standout performances of “New Coach Who Dis.”
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Isla Focuses on the Game
Running Point’s first season sets up a potential love triangle between Isla, the Waves’ (now) former coach Jay, and Isla’s fiancé, Lev. Now that Jay is in Boston, that shape moves to the background, but the unresolved feelings remain for Isla. Her Dune dream sequence feels like something that would happen on The Mindy Project, which makes me love it even more. On the other hand, the eight-week timeline to Isla and Lev’s wedding is more than enough time for the tensions to build between them, about Jay or otherwise.
Cleverly, Running Point shows Jay’s impact on Isla, even when he’s not around. She chooses Norm as the Waves’ new coach because of how highly Jay spoke of his mentor. There’s instantly a lot of character to Norm, too. Ray Ramano’s sincere delivery of “Well, I don’t think my wife can die twice” about knocked the wind out of me. It’s impressive that “New Coach Who Dis” can break through the absurdity of Norm’s set-up at the Peets coffee shop and the bathroom whisk to mine that really human moment.
Then again, it also helps that Norm isn’t Cam’s obvious pick. Norm gives the Waves a bit of an underdog energy that can help them in the season’s narrative. It also pushes Cam into that more antagonistic role because everything is working against him and his vision. It’s really fascinating to watch how Cam’s ego can pull people even, especially Ness and Sandy, who know all too well what Cam is like. More broadly, it seems like Justin Theroux is having a blast playing this character again. The whole cast looks that way!
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The New Season’s Stakes
Isla (mostly) sees the people who make up the organization, whereas Cam just sees the business from which he can profit. Theroux’s line read of “No, I would love to be a part of book club” is very good, but it’s also a reflection of Cam not even being able to fake interest in his siblings or their interests. There’s also the distinction in how Isla and Cam approach the players. She is concerned about preserving Marcus’s fitness, which really works after Marcus and Isla’s arc in Season 1. Alternatively, that’s not even something that crosses Cam’s mind.
“New Coach Who Dis” continues to show Marcus’s leadership in the locker room. This episode, like Season 1, does so with Dyson. That dynamic is a more interesting point of exploration than Dyson’s unexpected connection with actress Zoé Debay. Running Point practically introduces a relationship between Travis and Zoé in one breath and a connection between Dyson and Zoé in the next. It’s challenging to care about any level of distrust between them. It still feels like Running Point is getting to know the characters. On that note, it’s good that Travis is sober and playing brain games to help him.
It’s objectively fun that Zoé was a kid actor on a show called Triple Trouble when Brenda Song famously starred as London Tipton in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Then Ali namedrops Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers.” No notes! Relatedly, after one season, I’m invested in every level of Ali wanting a raise. The look on her face when she realizes she’s not a priority for Isla makes the personal and professional stakes feel real, which is what Running Point needs to kick off a season.
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