Round Two: Babylon

Babylon: Season 1, Episode 2 (B+)

In its second outing, this show does well. While it may not be as hilarious as the notion of stuffing guards with cheese and eating them, there’s still plenty of humor to be found, but also some serious content which prompts some true and unchecked anger from this show’s two most volatile personalities, Liz and Richard. Liz’s no-nonsense attitude does make it hard for her to make friends, as evidenced by an overheard call in a bathroom stall, and therefore it’s no wonder that she would jump at the chance to appease the one friend she does have by compromising her values and doing drugs. Her internal press network idea was clearly conceived in a moment of high function, and I think she let it get to her a bit and oversold it in her mind. That said, when Richard told her no she got truly angry and railed at him about her ideas not being taken seriously. She’s doing a pretty terrific job otherwise, smartly advising the deputy mayor on how to best spin his son being arrested and booked for drug possession (reminiscent of a lighter version of what happened on “Boss”). The idea of the public tasing was pretty entertaining, and that seems like a productive concept that couldn’t possibly have gone well. It took me a while, but I finally recognized Paterson Joseph, who plays Charles, as Holy Wayne from “The Leftovers.” This role includes a different kind of over-the-top behavior that isn’t as serious as changing people’s lives with a mere embrace.