“What’s your deal? You’re like a cartoon person.”

The first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was an eccentric powerhouse of a comedy. While retaining much of the elastic reality that creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock enjoyed with 30 Rock, Kimmy Schmidt simultaneously has a darker, but also more uplifting tone. It also finally gave us a vehicle for Ellie Kemper to shine with her portrayal of Kimmy. After a strong freshman season, Kimmy Schmidt has a ton of lofty expectations its for sophomore year. Would the show be capable of topping its first outing?

It’s been well over a year since Kimmy Schmidt’s first season was released, and being with these characters and their universe again is a fond reminder of how much they’ve been missed (as well as that hell of a theme song). That being said, this season does operate largely the same as before, even if there is more serialization pushing these characters forward. More of the same is certainly not a bad thing when it comes to this show, but its shiny luster from the first season has certainly worn off. It’s almost like how Kimmy’s take on the real world has been an increasingly less shock to her system. Even episodes this season that feel by-the-book and go for low-hanging fruit are still a lot of fun. This show is gooey comfort food and it’s just enjoyable to spend time in this world, even when it’s at its worst.

Now that Kimmy has reached some peace of mind over her “Hole” situation last season, we see her really trying to seize the day and get her reclaimed life back on track. That includes areas like Kimmy trying to finish her GED or going to the DMV to get an ID. Kimmy checking off these missed milestones is worthwhile storytelling and watching her be put through more real world experiences, albeit sitcom-y, works in the show’s favor. There’s also a really refreshing story about cult survivors and how they just move to other cults, perpetuating victimhood. At the same time it looks at people who are deeply co-dependent and can’t—or shouldn’t—be making decisions on their own, which is a rather poignant thing to get into on a sitcom.