This Fool season 2 review: The funniest Hulu comedy you’re not watching

This Fool should’ve been a bigger deal when it debuted last summer. The underrated Hulu comedy premiered months before the Italy-set The White Lotus with, among other things, a superior storyline revolving around Michael Imperioli’s penis. (We said what we said.) And that’s not even the funniest or most interesting part of This Fool. The irreverent, slice-of-life series is packed with unbelievable line readings (courtesy of a pitch-perfect Imperioli and co-creator Chris Estrada) and an array of colorful characters. It’s grounded yet absurd, serious yet clownish, and still quite uplifting. Sure, season one had a few uneven episodes before finding its comedic footing, but season two, which premieres July 28, is great right out of the gate.

That’s mostly thanks to the show’s central odd-couple relationship. First, there’s the straitlaced Julio (Estrada), who works at a non-profit rehabilitating recently released convicts. Julio sheds some of his irksome hubris once his older cousin, Luis (Frankie Quiñones), gets out of prison after eight years. Luis has difficulty readjusting to a society in which his jokes are dated and most of his former gangster friends have gone legit. He’s loud and uncouth; Julio is a perfectionist. Their differences force them to grow as people—and eventually, swap dynamics, which, given Estrada and Quiñones’ lived-in banter, feels a little jarring.

But fear not: The change is for the better. With their roles reversed in season two—Julio is a goddamn mess; Luis is relatively more settled—the actors challenge themselves, and the show flexes its narrative muscles. Quiñones emerges with a more assured performance than before. (It’s less goofy, which feels more bearable and authentic.) And Julio’s evolution gives Estrada room for a deeply human turn this time around. Julio’s identity crisis—no job, no Maggie (Michelle Ortiz), no stability—allows This Fool to add relatable layers to his narcissistic personality.

What’s more, This Fool tackles lofty ideas—ones that were only briefly discussed in the first season—head on this time. At its crux, the comedy is about second chances, self-improvement, and the importance of community to survive and thrive. The latter half of this season shines as it focuses on those themes, especially when it dedicates a whole episode to Julio’s mother, Esperanza (Laura Patalano). The initial episodes, while entertaining and experimental, are a bit scattershot, but everything comes together sharply once Julio digs into his dream of opening a cafe with the help of his friends.

The “Hugs Not Thugs” program doesn’t exist anymore, but Julio, Luis, and Minister Payne (Imperioli) remain committed to helping ex-convicts with that aforementioned coffee-shop venture. Does that mean battling bad press, facing a competitor, figuring out wall colors, and trying to simmer Julio’s ego? Indeed. It also means the three of them find new ways to face their internal issues, allowing This Fool to get sentimental in a way that it only teased before. And the result is joyous.

Season two works because it mixes this layered drama with plenty of laughs. We are not in the “this is crazy heavy” territory owned by The Bear (although the FX hit gets a small tribute here). But This Fool is innovative with how it toys with genres: A couple of episodes play out as a heist; one is set almost entirely in the desert (and features a fun guest star); and a later surreal episode uses a fake sitcom to psychoanalyze the show’s protagonists. (This is the kind of novelty you get when TV shows are given a chance instead of being shut down after one round.)

Plus, This Fool gives us more of what worked last time: Imperioli’s beautifully wacky approach to dialogue. Hearing him yell things like, “What terrorist cleaned my fucking underwear? I jerk off into these to sell [them]. That is weeks worth of cum down the drain” holds its own kind of power. He owns the screen. Minister Payne has embraced that his massive penis (he gets to refer to it as “a salami so big, it destroyed lives” and “a giant sweet potato,” among other things) will earn him money, so he’s taken to OnlyFans. It’s enjoyably crass. Still, his arc gets fleshed out with lots of substance by the end.

This character-driven angle makes This Fool a spiritual successor of sorts to other unique adult-coming-of-age Hulu originals like Ramy and Shrill. Estrada’s show is dryer and perhaps a bit peculiar, in part because his co-creators include Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman, who helmed Comedy Central’s short-lived gem Corporate. That show’s acerbic energy is on display in This Fool, which reaches greater heights with chaotic yet compassionate takes on Julio, Luis, and their South L.A. community. Which is all to say: This Fool is this quite good—and it’s time everyone knew it.

This Fool season two premieres July 28 on Hulu

Stream it now: Hulu