Armisen and Hader are typically the people getting applause for their work on this show, but Rhys Thomas and Alex Buono, the series’ directors, display exceptional ability every episode. They truly don’t get enough credit for the chameleon job that they’re doing in every single entry. It’s a totally new style present in each episode, usually spanning decades of cinema at a time, and it’s all coming out of merely a duo of voices. It’s incredible.

As “The Bunker” rolls on, it chronicles Redbones and Panagoulious squabbling over issues like campaign videos (which leads to a great piece on whether their ad qualifies as a death threat), digging up dirt on the opponent (or planting “lawn jockeys” on the lawns of those who support the opposing side), and how to spin a bad story. There’s a special sort of warmth behind these campaigning scenes where we see the candidates having fun with their supporters and loved ones.

The camera practically loses itself amongst all of this joy and optimism, until it then slowly comes across Teddy Redbones and fixates on his stern glare as he’s mouthing all of the words to Herndon’s speech, like a maniac possessed by a trance. This is the crux of this documentary. These moments where the ego and influence of Redbones and Panagoulious take over and transform what’s going on around them. John Mulaney contributed to the first season of Documentary Now!, but he’s even more of a presence in the writers’ room this year. He’s responsible for penning “The Bunker” along with some of the best scripts of the season.

Redbones and Panagoulious are indeed the focus of the documentary and both Hader and Armisen deliver grand performances. Hader is doing a wonderful brash Southern personality who’s been dubbed the “Mississippi Machiavelli,” who operates not unlike an unleashed drill sergeant. Every line he says is a delight to hear. Armisen on the other hand plays a squirmier, optimistic egoist as his foil. Hader’s performance at the end of this one is particularly worth singling out. It’s just incredible acting all around and a reminder of how good these guys can be. If you didn’t know the constructs of this series, you’d swear Hader’s tears were real. There’s also some good use of character actor Wayne Federman in this episode, acting as a nice example of the show’s methodical, careful use of “real” actors that don’t shatter the illusion that’s being created.

As the mayoral race escalates, Redbones gets shot by a Lester supporter in a great moment that takes things in an unexpected direction and plays with your expectations of what this “smoking gun moment” in the doc is actually going to be. It’s the perfect climax to ramp things up on as well as a despondent possible note to conclude this story on, but “The Bunker” doesn’t take any of this bait. It practically shrugs away this shooting like Redbones or Panagoulious were returning an undercooked meal at a bistro. Then it’s back to non-business as usual for the doc.