DISCLAIMER: This review contains spoilers from Season Two! If you don't want to know what happens, hold off on reading this until you've finished the season. :)
To be honest, I came into Season Two of Haters Back Off not knowing what to expect. Season One ended on a dramatic note - Miranda was left alone, forced to fend for herself. Yikes. With the personality and mind of a child, Miranda had to entirely piece back together her broken family. It would be easy to get Uncle Jim back, as he was hiding in the Miranda van in their driveway. Bethany would make her triumphant return after finding herself at a Bible museum, and Emily would come home when Bethany revealed her kidney disease in an attempt to convince her to leave her father's house, where she had sought refuge. Speaking of her father...
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| Credit: @HatersBackOff on Twitter |
Kelly. Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. This guy is the dictionary definition of a deadbeat dad. He abandoned his family when Miranda and Emily were wee ones, and returns this season to reclaim his youngest daughter. There's not much to Kelly's character; other than that he's fixated with money, and exploiting family members to obtain those dolla dolla bills. Kelly is brought back to create more chaos in the Sings' home (we're still waiting to learn what their real last name is) when it's already filled to the brim. After Emily makes it clear that she will be staying with Uncle Jim, Miranda, and her sick mother, Kelly sets his money hungry eyes on Miranda and her blossoming YouTube career.
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| Credit: @ColleenB123 on Twitter |
Miranda's YouTube Channel is quickly gaining momentum, meaning she's starting to deal with real things YouTubers do - including ad revenue, parody videos/accounts, merchandise sales and being approached by management teams. While last season Uncle Jim oversaw any road bumps in Miranda's channel, this season she took over. Through re-recruiting Patrick as her roadie, protesting outside of a Mexican restaurant whose ad played before her video, attempting to kidnap a little girl impersonating her in her school talent show, creating her own merchandise out of hospital attire and setting up a Miranda World amusement park, Miranda became her own boss. Granted, Uncle Jim was a little preoccupied with his love life and understandably could no longer devote all of his time to his niece.
This season, Miranda put her heart on her sleeve and fought to repair relationships with everyone offended by her... presence. We watch her chase after Patrick like a lovesick puppy, and feel sorry to see the sadness in her eyes when the man of her dreams dates another girl. Miranda, while trying to conceal it, can get very, very jealous. The confidence she exudes masks an emotion many of us feel often. As much as we like to put on a brave face and say that we're fine, it's okay to hurt once in a while. More than okay - it's expected. I like that her human side is shining through, and that her character has grown more round. This opens up a lot of doors for storylines next season. Until then, Miranda has without a doubt become more relatable this time around; you know, minus the hospital fashion show.
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| Credit: Colleen on Instagram |
A massive subplot from this season that has to be addressed is Bethany and Uncle Jim's newfound relationship.
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| Credit: Netflix |
This was the biggest shock of the entire series for me. More than Miranda having a sister. MORE than a guy being interested in Miranda. You'd think that after living together for so many years, sleeping in the same bed, that eventually Bethany and Uncle Jim would give dating a shot. Not me. This completely blindsided me! I never imagined i'd see Uncle Jim in a relationship, period - except for with Miranda in some weird, twisted nightmare Bethany has one night. I think half the reason I was caught off guard is because of the almost parental-like manner in which Bethany treated Uncle Jim up until this point. Perhaps through seeing Kelly again, and realizing her infatuation with Keith was going nowhere, Bethany was forced to embrace what was staring her in the face. While initially freaked out at the sight of these two together (almost as much as Miranda was), i'm happy they found each other. They both care strongly about their loved ones (well, Miranda at least), and share an interest in bags of salami.
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| Credit: Colleen on Instagram |
This, on the other hand, was a relationship we all hoped was coming. Mirandick was ALIVE this season! That is, however, until the two called it quits after Miranda spotted what she believed to be Patrick cheating on her with Amanda. Patrick is devastated when Miranda breaks up with him, and invests all of his time in his relationship with Amanda - someone, he claims, cares about him as much as he does her. The estranged couple reunite by the end of the season, and balance is restored in Miranda's world. Her real world, though. Not the amusement park. Wasn't that something.
Patrick was much more outright with his feelings this season, confronting Miranda re: how her actions affect others. Miranda needs someone who isn't afraid to stand up to her behaviour - which is why I think Mirandick didn't work out last season. Now that Patrick's found his courage, I sincerely hope this relationship only grows stronger from here on out.
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| Credit: @ColleenB123 on Twitter |
And finally, we have this guy. Often compared to Barb from Stranger Things, this dude deserved better. He's Miranda's temporary roadie, until, that is, he gets locked in a prison cell. Long story. Regardless of how little camera time he had, I really did love him. He will be missed. #NeverForgotten.
This season could not have been more different from the last, and I loved every second of it. The humour was equally as spot on, the depth of the varying storylines enthralling, and the revelations shocking. I can hardly wait for Season Three! You know, the one where Colleen Ballinger debuts as herself! It'll mean double the amount of work for Colleen - but made for an incredible cliffhanger at the end of the season. I'm looking forward to seeing both her, and her alter ego together. Although, if this video is any indication of what's to come, Miranda will be less than thrilled.
Let me know your thoughts on Season Two of Haters Back Off down below! What surprised you the most? Which character's storyline was your fave? What do you hope to see in Season Three?
Grade: A
Seasons One and Two of Haters Back Off are currently streaming on Netflix.
