The Mysterious Benedict Society is back and better than ever with the first two episodes of season 2.
Episode 1: A Perilous Journey
It has been a year since the students who formed the Mysterious Benedict Society went undercover to stop Dr. Curtain (Tony Hale) from creating ‘The Emergency’. Since their adventure, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, Constance, (Mystic Inscho, Seth Carr, Emmy DeOliveira, and Marta Kessler) have all separated to their respective families.
Mr. Benedict (Tony Hale) and Number Two (Kristen Schaal) are in Europe hiding clues for the upcoming scavenger hunt for the kids. While they leisurely tour through the continent, Benedict is upset to see Curtain taking credit for stopping ‘The Emergency’. Plus, Curtain has a new act where he is selling happiness. Benedict is beside himself, and wants to reveal the truth, but knows no one will believe him.
Constance has lived with Mr. Benedict, Number Two, and Rhonda (MaameYaa Boafo) and seems to be adjusting to her new family. Kate has been looking to gain back the father see missed with her reunion with Milligan (Ryan Hurst). Sticky is very content at the Boatwright Academy, and Reynie is very happy living with Ms. Perumal (Gia Sandhu) but misses his friends.
The school year has ended, and the group is bound to be reunited for the scavenger hunt organized by Mr. Benedict. When the kids arrive at the manor, they are happy to be together, but the joy doesn’t last long. Mr. Benedict and Number Two have gone missing. Determined to not be sent home, the kids rationalize that if they follow the clues of the scavenger hunt, they might be able to save Mr. Benedict and Number Two. The kids board the cruise ship ‘Shortcut’ and while Rhonda, Milligan, and Ms. Perumal race to the docks to stop the ship, they are too late, and the adventure begins.
Benedict and Number Two meet their abductor, and it is Mr. Curtain.
Episode 2: A Bit of a Light Chop
As stowaways, the kids have no room and must try to blend in with the passengers. Constance brings some clarity to the confused kids by informing the group the best way to avoid boat jail is to not stand on deck and discuss the morality of pirates. (Marta Kessler is hilarious in this scene)
Third Officer Cannonball (Joel de la Fuente) is making his rounds of the ship and notices that they have extra bodies on board. He informs Captain Noland (Fred Melamed) of the situation, and they agree to find the stowaways immediately. Meanwhile, Mr. Benedict wants to know what Curtain is up to, and before Number Two can plan their escape, he wants to do some snooping while imprisoned by his brother.
Back on the ship, the kids are trying to blend in, and have realized that they must find the stateroom they were supposed to be staying in to obtain the next clue for their scavenger hunt. Kate and Constance work together, while Sticky and Reynie partner up to search the ship.
As Rhonda, Milligan, and Ms. Perumal board a dirigible (my goodness that would be a fun way to travel) in hopes of getting ahead of the kids, Mr. Benedict and Number Two plot their escape from Curtain’s lemon grove institution.
The kids have found the stateroom, and after picking the lock and searching the suite, they find the clue. Unfortunately, they get interrupted and must return when the occupants of the room are out. Starving, the kids hit up the buffet where Sticky meets a friend from school, and they avoid Cannonball’s penetrating gaze.
Kate tries to make friends with a water polo team but is rebuffed at her line of questioning. In the lemon grove, Number Two and Benedict are trying to escape when they come to a fence. Grabbing on to the barrier, Benedict is shocked by the electrified fence.
Dodging Cannonball, the kids sneak off to the stateroom again and collect the next clue. As they are deciphering the puzzle before them, Milligan is talking to Ms. Perumal about the difficulty of being a parent.
Upset by his electrocution, Benedict goes to see Curtain and find out what he is up to. He knows that Curtain is putting on some sort of scam, and within a couple of minutes, he realizes that Curtain is using tricks of voice modulation to give people an artificial sense of happiness. Mr. Benedict is angry at his brother and when Curtain tries to taunt him about being jealous, Benedict says he’s not jealous but heartbroken at how Curtain has turned out.
While Captain Noland and Cannonball are trying to figure out what to do with the stowaways, the stateroom is broken into by the water polo team, who have been following the kids.
Bill’s Perspective:
The second season of any series can be hard, but The Mysterious Benedict Society hits a homerun. The kids have grown and aged, the adults have changed as well, and we get to meet some new characters which will freshen up the story and keep the audience glued to the television sets.
This show benefits from a book series that has a compelling story laid out. What I have particularly liked is that while everything feels like the first season, the show feels fresh and unique. Not only are the kids challenged to start the adventure alone we get to see how the adults have changed.
Fred Melamed and Joel de la Fuente are perfect additions to the cast. I am all in for anything The Mysterious Benedict Society is going to do, and I can’t wait to see how season two plays out.