American Vandal Season 2 is smarter, sadder and completely enthralling

GQ

The Netflix mockumentary is altogether different in Season 2, says Tom Philip. "Those going into the new season of American Vandal hoping for a continuation of the story we were told last year, or even many links to it at all (don't hold your breath for a Dylan Maxwell cameo) might find themselves disappointed with the focus of the new season, as well as its more thoughtful, well-crafted tone," says Philip. "This is not a comedy show by way of a compelling mystery anymore; this is a straight-up crime investigation show that still manages to deliver a lot of laughs. Health, racism, classism, bullying, the profound loneliness of high school, and social media are all studied in ways that both surprise us but mean something. In the end, when all is revealed, it's hard not to wonder if this can even be classed as a pure 'comedy' anymore."

ALSO:

• American Vandal fundamentally becomes a different show in Season 2, pulling off a more-serious tonal shift away from comedy
• Season 2's characters aren't as well-drawn and the use of experienced actors robs it of some of the first season’s amateur authenticity
• Co-creator Dan Perrault on why Season 2 is so different: “As viewers we’ve become so used to certain mockumentary conventions. There’s a certain rhythm to the jokes—like every confessional you hear a piece of information and then a punch line, or an awkward moment that’s perfectly crafted. We found that the more people view it as a mockumentary, the less involved, the less invested they’d be in the mystery."
• “There are certain poops that just couldn’t be shot on an iPhone because that’s found footage," explains Perrault. "There’s recreation poop and found footage poop. And they were very different poops."