The first season of genre-bending rom-com series “Wolf Like Me“ introduced the charming meet-cute between single dad Gary (Josh Gad) and tragic loner Mary (Isla Fisher) with a horror twist: Mary happens to transform into a wolf every full moon. Series creator/director/writer Abe Forsythe (2019’s Little Monsters) explores the next chapter in the couple’s relationship in Season 2, doubling down on the charm and the werewolf complications in the process.
After surviving a harrowing encounter last season that saw Mary, in wolf form, save Gary and his daughter Emma (Ariel Donoghue) from death in the Outback, the trio have settled into a comfortable, content life as a newfound family unit. But their familiar bliss is short-lived with the arrival of a new relationship complication: Mary is pregnant.
Typical anxieties for any expecting couple get exacerbated tenfold when the mom-to-be also happens to be a werewolf. That remains at the forefront of the couple’s minds as they try to plan the birth around the full moon while wondering whether their child will be human or wolf. And that’s before the rest of the family grow concerned over their secrecy, the Outback incident threatens to resurface, and Mary’s former professor, Anton (Edgar Ramirez), shows up.
WOLF LIKE ME — “Episode 204” Episode 204– Pictured: Josh Gad as Gary — (Photo by: Narelle Portanier/Peacock)
Whereas Season 1 took its time acclimating Gary to Mary’s dual nature, building toward a thrilling monster-heavy finale, “Wolf Like Me” Season 2 immediately dives into the challenges of dating a werewolf. That begins with a raucously bloody nightmare that highlights Mary’s recurring fears over her pregnancy that ripples throughout the seven-episode season. With the introductions out of the way and the shackles off, Season 2 embraces the werewolf side of Mary in a massive way, creating humorous situations and relatable challenges enhanced by the lycanthropy.
It also highlights how this season belongs to Isla Fisher. There’s an empathetic manic energy to Mary this season as she tries her best to protect Emma and Gary while feeling out of control over the next stage in her life. The growing pains of settling down get exacerbated to an infectious degree, giving Fisher plenty to do with an impressive juggling act of subplots. As Mary toggles between fear, worry, anger, and supporting stepmom and mom-to-be, Josh Gad’s Gary finds himself over his head as he treads uncharted waters. Gad wrings humor from his beleaguered everyday man just trying to keep the women in his life happy, even when their supernatural baggage threatens everything they’ve built together.
WOLF LIKE ME — “Episode 206” Episode 206– Pictured: (l-r) Isla Fisher as Mary, Ariel Donoghue as Emma — (Photo by: Narelle Portanier/Peacock)
Between Forsythe’s smart direction, the emotional authenticity of his cast, and the novel grafting of werewolf mythos to relatable, everyday woes, “Wolf Like Me” Season 2 deepens everything that worked so well about the inaugural season. Life is messy, but life with a werewolf is even messier, presenting fertile ground for Forsythe to explore through a genre lens. In typical fashion, the second season involves more characters, obstacles, anxieties, and conflicts for its central protagonists to contend with, but Forsythe and team make it look effortless. It’s double the fun, charm, and werewolf mayhem, especially in the back half.
“Wolf Like Me” makes for an easy binge this Halloween season. Forsythe keeps viewers on the hook with this infectiously paced season, culminating in one satisfying finale that begs for continuation. Gad and Fisher’s natural charisma translates well to their sweet yet quirky characters, grounded by the precocious Donoghue’s soulful portrayal of Emma. Life’s mundanity has never been as infectiously funny or authentically winsome as it is through this found family unit trying to find their way through life when a pesky lycanthropic curse shapes every facet of it. The emotional stakes are higher than ever, but so is the series’ sense of magic and werewolf fun.
“Wolf Like Me” Season 2 arrives on Peacock on October 19, 2023.
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