The second season of Universal Basic Guys cements what the FOX animated series is all about. It’s outlandish storylines that come from a generally reasonable place. The best way to describe the show is it’s the TV equivalent of Diedrich Bader’s character from the movie Office Space: well-meaning with an overactive, sometimes inappropriate imagination.

One thinks Bader’s character Lawrence would get along well with Mark Hoagies, the protagonist of Universal Basic Guys. Both are blue-collar workers who dream far bigger than perhaps they should, but Mark has the resources to make his dreams come true. The premise of Universal Basic Guys is that Mark, his brother Hank and several of their friends were laid off from their factory jobs, and are now living on universal basic income.

Show creators Adam Malamut and Craig Malamut take this very real idea and have an awful lot of fun with it. Watching Season 2, you can just imagine them laughing as they come up with some of these premises. But that’s what makes the show work: because as an audience member, if you had free time and extra money, wouldn’t you dream of doing something fun with it?

Universal Basic Guys Season 2 has some great wish fulfillment, the kind that only an animated series could logistically get away with. In “Golden Beans,” Mark gets annoyed at his favorite coffee shop for what seems like a dumb reason—the corporate entity that took it over is called “Blue Star” and is in Dallas. But if you’re a sports fan, you can totally understand why that would infuriate a Philadelphia Eagles superfan. But then Mark just decides to open his own coffee shop… with a fittingly Eagles-adjacent name. It’s not just that every episode has some weird idea in it; it’s the little details that make the big swings even funnier.

Another one to look out for is “Medieval Knights,” which will in some ways remind viewers of the King of the Hill episode “Joust Like a Woman.” Both take the whole medieval-era concept and spin it into something far out of control, including a king who gets knocked off his pedestal. The subplot, in which Mark’s wife Tammy and Andrea end up trapped in a self-driving car, goes the opposite direction in a homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey. But the fact that the show can sustain two completely different stories makes the episode click. And the season finale, “Crowmaster,” may be Universal Basic Guys at its best. It’s Mark bordering on egomania in what turns into a weird horror comedy—and it all starts over baseball cards. That shouldn’t make sense, but it all comes together, down to the absolutely perfect last scene as the credits roll.

The title Universal Basic Guys might have people not quite sure what the show is about. But it’s well-worth binge watching before the show returns for Season 3, because underneath that title is the most relatable of the FOX animated sitcoms. Even for newcomers, the penultimate episode “Markumentary” explains how the whole show came to be and gives it some valuable context. But then episodes like “Golden Beans,” “Medieval Knights,” “Skyboys” and “Crowmaster” prove that the show’s humor works on both big and small scales. It’s a well-rounded season for a series that has a lot to offer, and luckily there are more misadventures on the horizon.

Universal Basic Guys Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu. Photo Credit: Courtesy of FOX.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.