Average Joe Season 2 is anything but average. In fact, it’s as if creator Robb Cullen decided to mark the show’s return on Paramount+ by making it even more jaw-dropping. In the sense of “What the hell was that?,” but also in the sense of “That’s genuinely moving,” too.
Every TV show wants to be different, but this is a show that honestly does not have any comparison. It’s a crime drama, it’s a dark comedy, it’s about family, and some of it is just totally out of left field. Returning after more than three years (and don’t worry, there’s a “previously on” to refresh your memory), Average Joe comes back with a vengeance. Season 1 had enough twists and turns, but Season 2 uproots Joe Washington and his crew and sends them to South Africa. Yes, the series moves to an entirely new country. That changes so much about the show, from a new visual palette to bigger stakes to the introduction of a new villain played by 24 alum Hakeem Kae-Kazim (whose first scene is genuinely disturbing and far worse than anything he tried to do to Jack Bauer).
At the heart of this series, though, is still Deon Cole. The best thing Average Joe has done is show that Deon Cole isn’t just a comedian or the guy from the Old Spice commercials. He’s a fantastic dramatic actor, and Season 2 pushes him even further as Joe is despondent over his family, desperate and then increasingly pissed off. So much of Average Joe requires Cole to carry incredible emotional weight. Part of how the show catches viewers up on what’s happened is a montage of just Joe by himself, and it works since the audience can clearly see and feel how much this guy is carrying on his shoulders. He really is the Everyman who anchors the proceedings, even as everything gets crazier and more unbelievable around him.
That’s not to say that the rest of the cast are slacking, because Average Joe Season 2 does a great job of tossing the ball between Joe’s friends, too. It’s a fact that Michael Trucco remains one of the most underappreciated actors working today, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to see him unleashed as Touch thinks he can handle anything South Africa wants to throw at him (he can’t). But simultaneously, that reckless bravado still comes with a clear care and concern for Joe, Cathy and Leon. Trucco also gets points for being able to deliver the police-related exposition without it sounding clunky; there’s really no better guy for this role.
And in the face of those truly dark moments, audiences have Timeless alum Malcolm Barrett as Leon and Bosch actor Cynthia McWilliams as Cathy. Leon continues to provide information that nobody asked for (the characters or the audience), but that’s what makes him so charming. Many of the things he says are random and hilarious, while also coming from a real place of trying to help. On the flip side, Cathy isn’t taking crap from anyone—particularly Leon—and her laugh-out-loud moments happen for the totally opposite reason. If Joe is the emotional driving force of Average Joe, Cathy can be the physical driving force.
To say much more about the plot would be a spoiler, and one wonders where the series can go after rolling the dice so clearly this season. There are points where the plot runs the risk of becoming convoluted, especially since viewers do have to occasionally think back to Season 1. It can at times feel like too much. But that flaw happens because Cullen and his writing team are clearly relishing the chance to even have a second season. They’re going for broke and that is what makes Average Joe so entertaining. There’s an unpredictable quality where even the most experienced TV viewers will find themselves taken by surprise, whether it’s by a plot twist or the actors sinking their teeth into a moment. And that’s not something many TV shows can claim.
Will Joe ever get a chance to just be happy? It can be hard to watch him struggle sometimes, and Cullen definitely puts the “dark” in “dark comedy” several times. There’s a real mystery underneath Average Joe, and it will be up to each individual viewer to decide if Season 2 pays that off. But if one can persist through those harsh moments—as Joe does—this is a season that is never, ever boring. It’s wild, sometimes random, often surprising, and reminds viewers that the best TV shows are the ones that have us yelling at our screens. Cullen and company clearly put their extended hiatus to good use, and it’s fantastic to have Average Joe back.
Average Joe Season 2 premieres Aug. 19, 2026 on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+.
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.
