"Running Point" Season 2: Slam Dunk or Air Ball?

Hold onto your popcorn, sports movie fanatics and TV buffs! Season 2 of "Running Point", Netflix’s darling dressing room drama, is serving up fresh episodes that set the scene with some basketball shots, LA glamor, and, brace yourself, plenty of off-court hijinks amongst characters you can't help but love who are less Lakers, more Waves.

In a plot twist more welcome than a game-winning basket at the buzzer, “Running Point” isn't a conventional sports drama like "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty". Rather, it brilliantly mirrors the essence of workplace drama and comedy, making office politics and interpersonal relationships the game’s real MVPs.

Kate Hudson fills the gym shoes of Isla Gordon, the drama's fearless leader, no doubt inspired by Lakers’ dynamo Jeanie Buss – though it’s creative license, not a biopic. Accompanied by her characterful cohorts, Isla coaxes her team through the tumultuous, often absurd dilemmas of running a professional sports team - rumors of terrible ideas and double-crossing colleagues included!

Embellishing this portfolio of appealingly realistic characters, the series also nonchalantly adds in a few new faces, enhancing its already admirable roster. All of this is seasoned with clever pop culture references and relies heavily on Hudson's compelling performance in the lead – it’s a winning shot that will keep you glued to your screens just as the real playoffs heat up!

The LA setting is as much a player as the cast, setting the scene for the new season. Isla and the Waves are eager to capitalize on the glory they narrowly missed last season. The back-room machinations are as entertaining as the on-court action with Isla, her questionable siblings, and her quick-witted friend Ali (Brenda Song), who manages to bring both sass and sarcasm to her role.

But wait, what's that? It’s a twist in the tail like a Hail Mary four-pointer! Isla enters crisis mode when her unreliable elder sibling, fresh out of rehab, plots to regain the team. Meanwhile, Ali contemplates jumping ship for Toronto Trappers, another fictional team with an amusingly realistic name.

The love triangles abound but none as captivating as that involving two Waves players and rising star Zoé Debay (Aliyah Turner). Meanwhile, Isla grapples with wedding jitters, old flames, and unexpected visits from A-listers. The tone is light, the pace is fast, and the celebrity cameos are joyfully absurd.

However, this celebrity-studded extravaganza occasionally leads to a lack of depth for some core characters. More Insights on characters such as Song's sarcastic yet loyal Ali, the lovable Jackie by Fabrizio Guido, or Scott MacArthur's eccentric Ness would have been a bonus.

Regardless of these tiny hiccups, "Running Point", with its engaging characters and comedic confusion, keeps us bouncing back for more, thanks to Hudson's intricate and loveable Isla and the sharp writing that keeps us laughing.

In its sophomore season, "Running Point" shows the promise to remain a standout player in the league of TV series for many seasons to come, especially if it continues focusing on the drama off the court. Game on! Now streaming in full season on Netflix.