I did not think I would get the chance to write about this show because when the year started I had just finished watching season one and I threw a reference to it in that post I’ve referred to so many times now about the Ray Romano show…but here we are in December and there is a season 2.

Without traditional television seasons the way I’ve been used to them in my life - debuts in September, season finales in May - I kind of have no internal clock for TV shows, but I’m learning - first with Only Murders In The Building and now here with A Man On The Inside - that I guess there is a little predictability as to when the seasons of the shows are released.

And I’m glad I have the chance to write about it, because I really like this show.

I kind of blew through season 2. I watched the first episode at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend and regretted not starting sooner so I’d have the weekend to finish it…but I watched a couple of episodes a night and was done by Wednesday.

I am not quite sure because season one was very good and I am more removed from it…but season 2 might have been even better than season 1?

It’s hard to say. I did like how the second season, even though parts of it were very different, held on to what was great about season one.

The older generation, for instance, was such a focus in season one and it felt early on here like they might be shifting younger…except for Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, who plays his love interest. (I caught some of the press the real-life couple did leading up to the show and they were very funny talking about their time on Curb Your Enthusiasm where, if they didn’t get divorced (I can’t remember) they at the very least played an unhappy couple. Steenburgen said friends called them, concerned, and she would say, “Yes, we’re having problems and we chose that show to share it with the world.” Danson said something like, “Larry loved that he caused that to happen.”)

I think a strength of A Man On The Inside is that there is a mystery, but I don’t care how that turns out. It could be a great resolution, it could be a silly resolution (I can’t decide which this was), but the show is so good overall that the mystery is secondary.

The show is funny and touching - I teared up a few times. One of my favorite parts about it is the kindness displayed by its characters - that’s something that’s portrayed in different ways in more shows these days and I like it a lot. It makes me feel good - like in Ted Lasso.

My favorite side characters in season one (side characters in that they were important but not featured a bunch) were the grandkids - they get a little more play in season two and are even more amusing.

Max Greenfield is one of many great new additions in season two. He’s very funny.

And man, Ted Danson is so likable. And Mary Steenburgen is also very funny - she has a great role here.

This show is excellent.

The ending of season two is kind of beauiful.

I watched the show alone…I think my parents would like it and I might try to talk them into checking it out so we can share a laugh or two.

And maybe I can convince Kathy to watch it so I can experience it again from the beginning.