Honestly, most adult animation takes a minute to find its soul. You see it with The Simpsons or BoJack Horseman—that first season is usually just the writers throwing spaghetti at the fridge to see what sticks. But f is for family season 2 didn't just stick; it hit like a punch to the gut. It took the 1970s nostalgia of the first six episodes and curdled it into something much more raw, honest, and frankly, uncomfortable.
Bill Burr and Michael Price created something special here. They moved past the "angry dad" tropes and dove headfirst into the psychological wreckage of a man who’s been told his whole life that being a provider is his only value, only to have that role ripped away.
The Brutal Reality of Unemployment in the 1970s
When season 2 kicks off, Frank Murphy is in a bad way. He’s jobless after the chaos at Mohican Airways, and the show doesn't treat this like a sitcom "oopsie." It treats it like a slow-motion car crash. You’ve got this guy sitting in his pajamas, obsessing over the "scoop" of the driveway, while Sue has to become the breadwinner.
In the 1970s, that wasn't just a shift in finances. It was a total demolition of the masculine identity Frank was raised to believe in.
The writing in f is for family season 2 captures that specific, suffocating brand of suburban dread. We see Frank trying to maintain some semblance of authority while he’s literally begging for a job at a rival airline or dealing with the humiliation of being "the guy who stays home." It’s painful. It’s cringey. It's also some of the best writing the show ever produced.
Why Sue Murphy Is the Secret MVP
Sue, voiced by the incredible Laura Dern, really steps into her own this season. While the first season focused on her "Plast-a-Ware" frustrations, season 2 sees her entering the workforce in a more meaningful way. But she isn't met with open arms. She's met with the blatant, casual sexism of 1973.
Her struggle to balance being a supportive wife to a crumbling man while trying to maintain her own sanity is the emotional anchor of the season. She’s not just a foil for Frank anymore. She’s a person with her own boiling point. And boy, does she reach it.
The Kids Aren't Alright
If you thought Kevin, Bill, and Maureen had it rough in season 1, season 2 doubles down on the trauma. Kevin is still struggling with his grades and his band, but there’s a deeper layer of resentment forming. He sees his father’s failure and, instead of feeling pity, he feels a terrifying reflection of his own potential future.
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- Bill's arc is particularly dark this year.
- He goes from being the neighborhood's favorite punching bag to discovering a mean streak of his own.
- Watching a "sweet" kid realize that being mean is the only way to get respect in a rough neighborhood is a staple of Burr's brand of humor, but it’s played with real weight here.
Then there's Maureen. She's the "Princess," but she's also arguably the smartest person in the house. Her frustration with being relegated to "girl stuff" while her brothers get more freedom (even if they're failing) starts to create some real friction.
The Scoop and the Snow
One of the most memorable motifs in f is for family season 2 is the snow. The season is set during a brutal winter. It’s a literal and metaphorical "big freeze." The Murphys are trapped together in a small house, tensions simmering, while the world outside is cold and unforgiving.
There's a specific episode where Frank becomes obsessed with clearing the driveway. It's not about the snow. It's about control. When you have no power over your career, your finances, or your legacy, you control the three feet of concrete in front of your garage. Anyone who has lived through a period of unemployment or depression knows that feeling. The "scoop" becomes a holy relic. If the driveway is clean, maybe his life isn't a total mess.
Vic and the Excess of the 70s
You can't talk about this show without mentioning Vic, the Murphy's neighbor. Voiced by Sam Rockwell, Vic is everything Frank isn't: rich, handsome, well-endowed, and seemingly carefree. But season 2 starts to peel back the layers of Vic’s drug-fueled euphoria.
We start to see that Vic’s life is built on a foundation of cocaine and superficiality. While Frank is miserable because he cares too much about traditional success, Vic is drifting through a void because he doesn't seem to care about anything grounded. The contrast between Frank’s drab, brown-and-yellow world and Vic’s neon-soaked bachelor pad is a visual masterclass in storytelling.
The Climax: Reaching the Breaking Point
The finale of f is for family season 2 is a chaotic, hilarious, and genuinely stressful event. Everything comes to a head at the airport. The various subplots—Frank’s job hunt, Kevin’s rebellion, Sue’s career frustrations—all collide in a way that feels earned.
It’s not a happy ending. Not really. It’s a "we survived" ending.
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The show refuses to give Frank an easy out. He doesn't just get a "magic" job and everything goes back to normal. The scars of his unemployment stay with him. The resentment Sue feels doesn't just evaporate. This is what makes the show superior to almost any other animated sitcom. It has "consequence memory." What happens in season 2 actually matters in season 3 and beyond.
Understanding the Animation and Style
Gaumont Animation and Big Beach did something risky with the look of this show. It’s ugly. Not "bad animation" ugly, but "1970s aesthetic" ugly. The color palette is dominated by mustard yellow, burnt orange, and muddy brown. It feels heavy.
In season 2, this style is used to enhance the feeling of claustrophobia. The characters' faces are lined with stress. The backgrounds feel cluttered and lived-in. It captures the "shag carpet" era perfectly, where everything was a little bit sticky and smelled like stale cigarette smoke.
The Voice Casting Brilliance
Beyond Burr and Dern, the supporting cast in season 2 is phenomenal.
- Justin Long brings a perfect mix of teenage angst and vulnerability to Kevin.
- Debi Derryberry makes Maureen feel like a real kid, not a "cartoon" kid.
- Phil Hendrie, a radio legend, voices multiple characters (including Jim Jeffords and Colt Luger) with such distinct personalities you'd never know it's the same guy.
The addition of characters like Bob Pogo’s increasingly desperate medical issues or the terrifyingly incompetent management at the airline adds a layer of dark corporate satire that feels eerily relevant even today.
Why It Holds Up in 2026
Rewatching f is for family season 2 today, it’s striking how much of the social commentary still lands. The anxiety about automation, the shifting roles of gender in the household, and the struggle to raise kids in a world that feels like it’s falling apart—these aren't 1970s problems. They're human problems.
The show doesn't lecture. It doesn't try to be "important." It just tells a story about a family that is trying its best and failing often. There's a profound empathy underneath all the swearing and the insults.
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Frank Murphy is a man trapped in a cycle of generational trauma. He treats his kids the way his father treated him, and he hates himself for it. Season 2 is where he first starts to realize that he might be the problem, even if he doesn't know how to fix it yet.
Next Steps for Fans and New Viewers
If you're revisiting the series or diving in for the first time, keep an eye on the background details. The fake commercials and radio snippets aren't just jokes; they build the world of "Rustvale" and explain why these characters are so high-strung.
Watch for the "Colt Luger" parallels. Frank’s favorite TV hero is a direct reflection of his own internal struggle. Whenever Colt Luger is on screen, pay attention to what Frank is going through in that episode. It's never a coincidence.
Listen to the sound design. The show uses silence and ambient noise (the hum of a refrigerator, the whistling wind) to heighten the feeling of isolation during Frank's unemployment. It’s a subtle touch that most animated shows ignore.
Track the "Scoop" count. Count how many times Frank mentions or touches his snow shovel. It’s a barometer for his mental health. The more he talks about the driveway, the closer he is to a nervous breakdown.
This season remains a high-water mark for Netflix’s adult animation library because it dared to be a drama dressed in a comedy's clothing. It’s loud, it’s rude, and it’s heart-wrenching. Precisely how a family story should be.