Season Review: Fairfax Season Two

Overview:

The eclectic and clout-savvy Gang Gang have come out of the first season of Fairfax with more confidence and social media cred than ever before, but the group slowly learns that mo’ followers means mo’ problems as they get further swallowed up by the trends that take over the community. Season two of Fairfax builds upon the comfortable, cozy energy of its freshman season, but the Gang Gang learns how important their friendship is to the future of Fairfax as external forces, new influencers, and old relics strike with a vengeance and threaten to forever change this quaint, impressionable community.

Our Take:

It’s never been a better time to be a fan of adult animated series, but the embrace of this style of storytelling has also led to a deluge of disposable content. It’s hard to stay on top of every new animated series, especially now that streaming services have started to understand the value of a strong animated line-up. Fairfax quietly hit Amazon Prime Video back in 2021 as an effortless blend of coming of age character development that’s also seamlessly connected to the generation’s pulse in response to social media trends and pop culture phenomena. 

The program, coming from Matt Hausfater, Aaron Buchsbaum, and Teddy Riley, feels like an authentic mix of animated cult classic like Ugly Americans, The Weekenders, and the collected works of Brad Neely, but put in the blender with every entertainment trend and celebrity factoid that pollutes the internet. This culminates in a delirious burst of comedy, character, and pop culture that’s only funnier and more composed in its exceptional second season. If season one of Fairfax makes the audience want to click the proverbial like button on this content then season two will make them want to endlessly retweet and subscribe to the glory of Fairfax.  

The joy of a series like Fairfax is that it engages in brilliant commentary that’s intelligent, but also properly tuned into a world that’s been consumed by social media and a clout-based culture. A character’s value is dependent upon their internet footprint and their number of followers rather than any sense of values. This makes for entertaining storytelling inspiration as Fairfax engages in hilarious controversies like “ghostface” (as opposed to blackface) or “death clout,” all of which feel natural and are connected to grounded emotional journeys.

Season one of Fairfax ends with a well-defined group of personalities. This second season further remixes its cast and finds success through unique character combinations that lead to fulfilling developments and revelations for these kids. Not only is the cast of Fairfax so affable, but it presents a more authentic and modern depiction of this world through its diverse characters. This level of inclusion doesn’t deserve any accolades at this point, but it’s still a strong element that helps Fairfax stand out. The diverse voice behind the writers’ room and characters results in more progressive and entertaining comedy. It’s also helpful that this season pushes the Gang Gang out of their friend group to make more allies. This provides greater variety to the show’s storytelling instead of season two ideas that replay the greatest hits from season one. It’d be very easy to lean into that comfortable complacency, but it’s appreciated that Fairfax takes some risks this season and gets increasingly outside of its comfort zone. The supporting cast really come alive in these episodes.

Each character in Fairfax gets a serious spotlight, but this season also expands the city as a whole and looks more at Fairfax’s supporting players. This includes a greater focus on Fairfax’s nightlife, the bad parts of town, and other fringe areas that were overlooked back in season one. All of the episodes culminate in inclusive stories about the joys of being an individual and how important it is to find your tribe of people. This could feel repetitive at a certain point, but it results in a sweet third act for most of this season’s episodes. It’s much deeper than repeatedly banking on the enduring “power of friendship.” There’s a storytelling structure that’s almost Seinfeldian in nature as chaos stems from bifurcated narratives that balance hyperbolic fantasy with genuine adolescent problems. This season features some material that’s quite heightened and broad, but it always stays in line with the themes of the respective episode. Season two gets into elaborate full moon transformations that are anything but grounded, but Fairfax properly establishes its exaggerated, surreal rules. 

Fairfax is already a rapidly-paced program, but the number of split storylines empower episodes with an even more frenetic tempo that’s able to accomplish an impressive amount in each entry of the series. This results in comedy that’s genuinely funny and will appeal to adults through its pop culture reference, but it’s also perfect for teenage audiences. Fairfax is a great show for middle schoolers that never feels like it’s pandering to or mocking the younger crowd.

There’s such a creative range of topics that this season of Fairfax deconstructs, whether it’s death posts, mystery social media gossip accounts, career day and internship anxiety, or female-run companies and “sneaky racism.” However, these realistic concerns coalesce with wilder premises that cover everything from time travel shenanigans, a fire safety video that gets warped into the next big blockbuster cinematic franchise, and a detention whodunnit drama that plays out like a teen version of 12 Angry Men meets The Breakfast Club. There’s also Joaquin Phoenix. Lots and lots of Joaquin Phoenix. A lot of this can feel random in the moment, but Fairfax justifies its decisions and never stumbles with its ambition. All of these ideas properly expand upon everything that was successful in season one, yet these season two installments stand on their own and don’t feel derivative of the past.

Fairfax is incredibly silly, but it also taps into genuine melodrama. There’s one dramatic moment from the season finale that literally made me gasp. The series knows how to forge legitimate tension just as much as it’s skilled in comedy. The season culminates to a surprisingly grandiose place and creates some real stakes that drive the final episodes forward with an even greater sense of urgency. All of this clout silliness reaches the heights of a Shakespearean tragedy that’s mixed with a fascist dystopia with a dose of anime thrown in for good measure. The series’ humble hamlet is threatened to be pulled apart at the seams, which ends the season on a strong, bold note.

The core writing in Fairfax is incredibly strong, but it’s shocking how much consistent humor is present through the ancillary gags that fill the background of every episode. There are so many hilarious non-sequiturs that make it so you’ll never want to take your eyes off the screen at the risk of missing some strange pop culture parody. All of this plays out in such a natural manner where the reveal of a Lion King 1 ½ DVD can be a brilliant, surreal punchline for “the circle of hype.” There’s a brilliant blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gag at a career fair where a booth for the “Ronan Farrow Detective Agency” lures in potential truthseekers. The comedy feels completely attuned to Fairfax’s clout-based social media savvy universe. It’s a perfectly-defined world where TikTok screens are used to punctuate scandals instead of spinning newspaper headlines. 

Additionally on the topic of animation and aesthetics, there are also some really beautiful visuals and transitions between scenes that are low-key gorgeous. There’s routinely beautiful animation whenever it’s sunset, dusk, or some other period of transition in Fairfax so that the background elements pop off of the screen. This season of Fairfax also indulges in heightened fantasy sequences that get more daring with the animation and visuals, which become pleasant diversions whenever they occur. All of this adds greater depth to Fairfax’s visuals, which can occasionally feel simplistic. These visuals are also bolstered through the impeccable use of music selections. Every song choice amplifies the energy of these middle schoolers and adds further authenticity to their vibes.

It’s unclear if season two of Fairfax will serve as the animated series’ swan song, but it’d be an absolute tragedy for a show that has so much more to say, continues to feel impossibly fresh, and only continues to thrive through the development of its supporting characters and setting as a whole. If this does mark the end of Fairfax then these two seasons will function as an exceptional time capsule of the era as well as a complete story that’s infinitely easy to revisit. Fairfax has accomplished more in two seasons of eight episodes than what most series do in double that amount of time. Amazon Prime Video is slowly establishing an impressive library of adult animated programs and Fairfax can easily become the crown jewel of this treasure if it’s given the proper time to grow. As it stands, Fairfax is two seasons of successful and subversive animated comedy, but it has the potential to become the voice of a generation with the right push and support. 

Season two of ‘Fairfax’ is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video