Sam is standing in a field. It’s Kansas, so the horizon just goes on forever, flat and uncompromising. She’s singing, but she’s also kind of vibrating with this specific brand of Midwestern grief that doesn't involve screaming. It involves doing the dishes and maybe drinking a light beer at 11:00 AM. When Somebody Somewhere season 2 episode 1 premiered, it didn't try to reinvent the wheel. It just invited us back into the kitchen.
Honestly, the premiere, titled "NNN," is a masterclass in how to handle a sophomore slump by completely ignoring the pressure to be "bigger." It’s smaller. It’s quieter. It’s better.
The Ghost of Holly and the Reality of Grief
If you watched the first season, you know the show is built on the bones of Sam’s sister, Holly. She’s gone. But in the first episode of the second season, her absence is almost a character itself. Bridget Everett, who plays Sam, has this way of looking at a stack of mail or a dirty counter that tells you everything you need to know about depression without her saying a single word.
Most TV shows treat death like a plot point. Here? It’s a chore. It’s the annoying thing you have to manage while also trying to figure out why your mother is increasingly difficult to deal with.
The episode opens with a routine. Sam and Joel (played by the incredible Jeff Hiller) are doing their power-walking thing. It’s a bit. They have bits. That’s what real friends do. They don't have Sorkin-esque dialogue; they have inside jokes about church and neighbors that wouldn't make sense to anyone else. Seeing them back together feels like putting on a pair of socks straight out of the dryer. Warm. Necessary.
Why Joel is the Secret Sauce
Joel is probably the best written "best friend" on television right now. In Somebody Somewhere season 2 episode 1, we see him trying to find his own space. He’s got his Vision Board. He’s got his goals. He’s trying to be "intentional," a word that Sam clearly finds a little exhausting but tolerates because she loves him.
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Their chemistry is the engine. When they’re sitting in the car or hanging out at the "Choir Practice" (which is really just a bunch of outsiders singing and being queer in a basement), the show captures a specific kind of platonic intimacy that is rarely seen. It isn't about sexual tension. It’s about the relief of being seen by someone who doesn't require you to be "on."
The Sunday Dinner from Hell (and Heaven)
There’s a scene in this episode involving a family dinner that is so cringe-inducingly accurate it might give you flashbacks to your own holidays. Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) is dealing with the fallout of her husband’s affair and her business's struggles. She’s brittle. She’s a lot.
Watching the sisters interact is fascinating because they clearly don't like each other all the time, but they are tethered by blood and shared trauma. The show doesn't force a reconciliation. It just shows them eating. Sometimes that’s the best you can do.
Sam’s dad, Ed, played by the late Mike Hagerty, is missing from this season due to the actor's passing. The show handles this with incredible grace. Instead of a flashy "death episode," they weave the absence into the fabric of the family's new, shaky reality. It’s a heavy lift for a comedy-drama, but it works because the show knows that life doesn't stop for a funeral. It just gets weirder.
The Music is a Character
We have to talk about the singing. Bridget Everett is a powerhouse vocalist in real life, but Sam is a woman who gave up on her voice. When she finally sings in this episode—even just practicing—it feels like she’s finally breathing.
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The sound design in Somebody Somewhere season 2 episode 1 is intentional. The silence of the Kansas plains is loud. Then, when the music hits, it feels like a flood. It’s not a musical; it’s a show about a person who is music but forgot how to play.
What People Get Wrong About This Show
A lot of critics call this a "small" show. That’s kind of a backhanded compliment, isn't it? It’s not small. It’s precise.
People think it’s just about "flyover country" or "middle-aged malaise." It’s actually about the radical act of finding joy when you’re "old" enough that the world thinks you should have it all figured out. Sam doesn't have it figured out. Joel doesn't either. And that’s the point.
The premiere establishes that season 2 is going to be about rebuilding. If season 1 was about surviving the immediate blast of loss, season 2 is about cleaning up the debris. It’s messy. You might get a splinter.
The "NNN" Meaning
The episode title refers to "No New Friends," a mantra that Sam and Joel joke about. It’s funny, sure, but it’s also a defense mechanism. When you’ve been hurt or when you’ve lost the person who was your whole world, the idea of letting someone new in is terrifying.
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Seeing them navigate this—especially as Joel starts to explore his own life outside of Sam’s immediate orbit—creates a subtle tension. It’s the fear of: What if my person finds another person?
Real-World Lessons from the Prairie
There is something deeply relatable about the way Somebody Somewhere season 2 episode 1 approaches adult friendships. As we get older, our circles often shrink. We become protective of our time and our energy.
- Grief isn't linear. You can be laughing at a joke about a "Vision Board" one minute and feeling the crushing weight of an empty chair the next.
- Platonic love is life-saving. The bond between Sam and Joel is portrayed with more weight and significance than most romantic leads on TV.
- Geography matters. The setting of Manhattan, Kansas, isn't just a backdrop. The isolation of the landscape mirrors the internal isolation of the characters.
- Humor is a survival tool. If you can't laugh at the absurdity of a failing candle shop or a weirdly intense church group, you’re not going to make it.
The episode ends not with a cliffhanger, but with a feeling. It’s the feeling of a long exhale. You realize that even though everything is kind of falling apart, these people have each other. And in the world of the show, that’s plenty.
How to Carry the Vibe of Season 2 Into Your Life
If you’re looking for a takeaway from the premiere, it’s probably this: stop waiting for the "big moment" to start living again. Sam is still living in her sister's shadow, but she’s also starting to step out of it, one snarky comment at a time.
- Check in on your "Joel." If you have that friend you can be silent with, call them.
- Find your "Choir Practice." Everyone needs a space where they can be their weirdest self without judgment.
- Forgive the "Tricias" in your life. People are usually acting out because they’re hurting, not because they’re villains.
- Watch the show again. Seriously. There are layers to the background acting and the subtle glances that you’ll miss on a first watch.
The beauty of Somebody Somewhere season 2 episode 1 is that it reminds us that being "okay" is a moving target. Some days, being okay means singing a song. Other days, it just means putting on your shoes and going for a walk. Either way, you're still here. And that's enough.
Check your local listings or streaming platforms to catch up on the rest of the season, as the stakes only get higher and the jokes get even more specific to the weird, wonderful world of the Midwest. The evolution of Sam and Joel's friendship remains the most compelling thing on television, hands down. Keep an eye on how the show handles the legacy of the father character throughout the rest of the episodes; it’s a masterclass in writing around real-life tragedy.