‘Yearly Departed’ Season 2 Review: This Eulogy Of 2021 By Incredibly Funny Women Remains Savage And Relatable AF
I might get a lot of flak for saying this, but our world is probably ending, so who the F cares? When men are funny, they’re a bit too on the nose with it. But when women are funny—and women are hilarious 99% of the time because we use humour to dull the pain inflicted by patriarchy—they’re so downright sharp and incisive, you wouldn’t know you were slashed until way after the blood starts oozing out. And that’s why I am glad that a bunch of women have taken up the highly important charge of eulogising the year that was. I mean the catharsis that Yearly Departed, a comedy special on Amazon Prime Video, brought me last year made me even more excited to see the lineup Yearly Departed Season 2 put forth!
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This year, for its second iteration, the comedy special brought Yvonne Orji on board as a fabulous (and funny) host for the funeral of the year which, as she reminded us, had ONE JOB: To not be 2020. Alas, the year turned out to be a 2020 variant! So on point, right? The lineup that delivered some of these hilarious but downright insightful jokes included Megan Stalter, Aparna Nancherla, Dulcé Sloan, X Mayo, Chelsea Peretti, and the legend Jane Fonda. Alessia Cara was the special musical guest who came on last and sang the In Memoriam—a beautiful cover of Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’, because God knows we thought we’d be unsinkable this year with the vaccine, but clearly, the variants are icebergs messing up our Titanic life courses.
The special counts amongst its executive producers, actor Rachel Brosnahan, who is a comic on-screen in Marvelous Mrs Maisel. And if you saw the first season of Yearly Departed, you’d know Rachel can do the Midge thing off-screen too. Comedian and writer Bess Kalb is also one of the executive producers, and the head writer, along with Akilah Green, Karen Chee, Franchesca Ramsey and Jocelyn Richard. The special is directed by Linda Mendoza. And here’s one of my favourite things about this series. Not just the comedians, the director and writers, but a majority of the people involved in the making of this special—from the production designer (Frida Oliva) to the editor (Kelly Lyon) and even the music composer (Eve Nelson) are women.
I mean, from what I could see in the BTS rolling with the end credits, this must’ve been a raucous set to be on!
The special itself, even as it cruises across the board, touching on topics from mental health to anti-vaxxers and KimYe to climate change, never drops the distinctive female gaze which makes every observation look so refreshing and extremely relatable. Therefore, utterly hilarious. Really, you’re laughing because you’re done crying and there’s nothing else left to do!
Like when X Mayo took the podium to eulogies and bid farewell to ‘My Body, My Choice’ bumper stickers. My first thought was surprise because it’s such a clever way to address the abortion laws being passed in several states of the United States of America, overturning all the good that came from the landmark Roe vs. Wade judgement and the immeasurable efforts of pro-choice activists and feminists who fought to make it a reality.
It was hilarious when she brought out her ‘presentation’, a book about all the men that women can have sex with and have the option of abortion still available to them. But at the same time, the harsh reality that many women were being forced to have children even when they couldn’t afford to raise them or for the numerous other reasons they didn’t want to have them, stung deep. All of this was happening in 2021, a year we hoped would be different, move forward.
Similarly, when the incredible Jane Fonda, glided in (I swear she floats on a cloud of awesomeness) and talked about laying climate change denial to rest. Or when Yvonne Orji spoke the reality of so many of us when she said she was tired of the hustle and grind culture, reminding us that it is okay if we want to take a break. And the fact that this movement of taking a step back was led by so many women—like Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Meghan Markle—who chose to put their foot down and say, “Hey, I have had enough. I’mma take a break from all the pressure.”
Also Read: Yearly Departed Review: Hilarious, Relatable AF And Cathartic, This Roast Of 2020 Has Healing Powers!
I loved how the ladies were able to, as is the case with most humour that comes from women, say the most searing things in the most clever and incisive manner. I burst out laughing so many times, and mostly there was a lot of ‘Yaas girl, preach!” Especially when Dulcé Sloan brought up how the power of smartphones enables us to keep assholes in check and laid to rest their unchecked assholery. Her obvious and not-so-obvious calling out of assholes like Jamie Spears, Britney Spears’ father, disgraced comedian Louis CK and so many more, who might be back on the scene, but the ‘receipts’ of their deeds the Internet shall never forget. The fact that anyone, from a Harvey Weinstein to a random Joe who is mean to a waitress can be held accountable, cancelled, and called out on social media, is proof of the immense power we wield. We freed Britney, you guys!
Of course, it wasn’t all serious and subtext. There were some light-hearted sets too that was relatable on a whole different level because we all enjoy laughing about them. Awkward Zoom calls, the casual sex that happened once we all got vaccinated, and of course, the joys of the hermit life we lived while we were confined to our solitary abodes, forgetting all about social etiquettes like small talk and wearing formal pants. Tracks FTW!
While Yearly Departed 2020 was a little more catered to some uniquely women-centric issues, because God knows we suffered more than, Yearly Departed Season 2, I felt, had a more all-encompassing view.
Verdict
Yearly Departed Season 2 is funny, clever, and relatable AF! I particularly dig the vibe of this series, with women being uninhibitedly themselves, and talking like a bunch of girlfriends would do on a fun Saturday night in, bitching about their lives.
Me, I love this concept, especially the fact that it is a funeral, replete with an urn carrying the ashes of the year gone by because it clearly got roasted and burnt by these ladies. They don’t hold back their jibes, nor their outfits, which are black and stunning and make me want to snag each one of them to wear for my impending NYE party!
I have to say I am a little surprised that this year, the whole episode came out in a rather hush-hush fashion, and a couple of days earlier, with rarely any promotion around it. I think this is a fabulous show that I am very happy to watch return every year. In fact, just as we have Vir Das as a part of the comedy specials and festivals abroad, I really do hope some of our best female comics get a chance to appear and bring a little global flavour to this already inclusive roast.
Yearly Departed Season 2 is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
