At long last, one of the greatest sitcoms in streaming history is finally returning for new episodes. Prime Video’s hit hidden camera comedy, Jury Duty, is officially returning for a second season in March. Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat premieres on March 20, aiming to recapture the magic that made the first season so special.
Jury Duty was the surprise hit of 2023, managing to find the perfect mix of heart and humor thanks in large part to its only unwitting participant, Ronald Gladden. The second season will have a steep climb ahead of it to replicate the lightning in a bottle that was the show’s original run. Ahead of Season 2 dropping in March, everyone needs to check out Jury Duty or risk missing out on one of the most fun comedies in recent memory.
Jury Duty Is a Hilarious and Surprisingly Heartfelt Comedy
Ronald Gladden and James Marsden alongside other actors in a court case interview from the TV series Jury DutyImage via Prime Video
Jury Duty‘s unique premise takes one regular individual from off the street and throws him into bizarre circumstances, all while believing that he is taking part in a documentary exploring the United States judicial system. Ronald Gladden, a contractor from San Diego, has no idea that he is surrounded by paid actors pretending to be fellow jurors. The show takes the form of a social experiment, putting Ronald in bizarre and hilarious situations to see how he reacts.
A major source of Jury Duty‘s comedy is its cast of wacky characters. Included among these is none other than actor James Marsden, playing a heightened version of himself, who befriends Gladden. Also present is Todd Gregory, a strange and eccentric inventor who enjoys running his off-kilter ideas by Gladden. While the bits and characters get some input from producers, the interactions between the cast and Gladden are entirely improvised.
In theory, Jury Duty could have easily been a low-brow prank show, but it becomes so much more in execution. Throughout its eight-episode first season, the show develops a completely unplanned narrative throughline thanks entirely to Ronald Gladden himself, who is still unaware of the show’s true intentions.
Gladden turns out to be a genuinely kind, friendly guy who befriends and helps his off-putting fellow jurors. The show ends up being a tribute to “the everyman” that its protagonist is, ending on a surprisingly upbeat and optimistic note when the prank is finally revealed and Gladden is awarded a cash prize.
Jury Duty was the surprise hit of 2023, going on to receive three Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Comedy Series. The show has a terrific Rotten Tomatoes score of 82%, indicating mostly positive reviews. Critics praised the series for its surprising development over the course of its first season and the producers’ commitment to not making Ronald Gladden the victim of the joke, as so many prank shows do. Jury Duty‘s success made a follow-up inevitable, even if it took three years to finally get off the ground.
What to Expect From Jury Duty Season 2
Ishmel Sahid and James Marsden watching the jury in Jury DutyImage via Prime Video
Making a second season of Jury Duty is inherently difficult, especially after the show’s massive surge in popularity. Now that so many people are familiar with the original series, it would be hard to pull off the same tricks without tipping off the subject. This is most likely the reason that Prime Video chose to step away from the jury setting in Season 2, which would have been too obvious to any potential subjects.
Based on the title, it seems as though Season 2 will take place at a company retreat. It will follow the same format as the first season, with one unwitting person thrown into bizarre circumstances alongside actors performing zany characters. The subject this time around is Anthony, a temp worker who recently joined the staff of a family-owned hot sauce company and has now been invited to join the rest of the employees (again, all paid actors) at their corporate retreat.
Fans of the first season shouldn’t expect to see Ronald Gladden or James Marsden return for Company Retreat. Their presence would most likely tip off the new subject to the true purpose behind his bizarre circumstances and risk destroying the entire premise of the season. Nevertheless, Company Retreat will hopefully be able to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time, replicating the surprise success that was Jury Duty.
Jury Duty is available to stream on Prime Video. Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat premieres on March 20.
Release Date
2023 – 2023-00-00
Showrunner
Cody Heller
Directors
Jake Szymanski
