I approached the first season of this show with trepidation when I saw it compared to Sex and the City. Watching it I was not able to shake that feeling, but at the same time it had humor and heart that I could connect to even if the glossy, club-life of the characters was not something I could relate to. The second season pushes further on both aspects of this - and in doing so still manages to keep that balance pretty well. The slickness of the first season is stepped up, but the character moments go with it, providing more of a bed for the sex and cool parties.
For this viewer that slickness continued to be a barrier to really getting into it though. There is at least one pretty weak episode in this short season, and within many others there are scenes or stretches where it plays more to that side of its mix. This is all still good television of course, and I enjoyed it for what it was - but the show is best when it has that human touch. This is why the final episode is certainly the best of the bunch. It throws in a whole new structure to the episode, brings all the characters to the fore for their moment, and very much focuses on things of emotional consequence and significance. There is plenty like this scattered throughout the season, but the finale seems to make that aspect its focus - to its betterment.
The cast is good, with Rae and Orji both good in different ways (the latter given plenty of good material to work with). Ellis expanded well this season; I had thought maybe he was done after the last season but they keep him in a main role and his character is well painted. Supporting cast are good at what they do, but have less to work with - so it is the lead roles that take the attention. The show is headed to a third season at time of writing, and I look forward to it continuing to get the balance as right as it did here.