This review delves into ‘Company Retreat,’ the second season of Freevee’s hoax reality series ‘Jury Duty,’ which plunges an unsuspecting participant into a bizarre corporate getaway where everyone else is an actor. While the show aims for humor and heart, one particular episode featuring a sex toy is noted as genuinely stomach-turning. Luckily, the central figure in this charade possesses an admirably ‘captain fun’ attitude, navigating even the most cringe-worthy scenarios with resilience.
Last year, Amazon-owned Freevee captivated audiences with the inaugural season of ‘Jury Duty,’ an inventive hoax reality program. It featured an ordinary American citizen, Ronald Gladden, serving on a jury in an LA courthouse, completely oblivious that every other juror and participant was, in fact, an actor. The show often veered into absurdity, notably with the surprising cameo of X-Men star James Marsden. Yet, ‘Jury Duty’ also offered significant warmth, largely due to Gladden himself – a genuinely kind man who unwittingly embarked on a ‘hero’s journey’ meticulously orchestrated by the show’s creators, and who graciously accepted the eventual revelation. While some critics raised ethical concerns about its ‘Truman Show’-like premise, Gladden appeared largely unaffected by his sudden notoriety. It’s plausible that his reward, a substantial $100,000 prize and a two-year Amazon contract, played a significant role in mitigating any initial shock or disbelief.
Now, we turn to the second season, which, despite maintaining the ‘Jury Duty’ title, shifts its focus to the annual corporate retreat for ‘Rockin’ Grandma’s’ hot sauce – a company, we must reveal, that is entirely fictional. This season’s unsuspecting lead is Anthony Norman, a twenty-something office temporary worker who rapidly wins over the hearts of his ‘colleagues.’ We discover this retreat marks the final one for CEO Doug Womack, who plans to retire and pass the reins to his son, Dougie. Dougie is characterized as a lethargic, faux-Jamaican-accented former ska musician, embodying a unique blend of Chet Hanks’ eccentricities and The Dude’s laid-back vibe from ‘The Big Lebowski.’
Mirroring Gladden’s temperament, Norman exhibits an excessive degree of kindness and compliance, coupled with a genuine affection for structured recreational activities. This makes him the ideal individual to assume leadership of the retreat after HR manager Kevin makes an embarrassing social blunder and withdraws. In a rapid transformation, Norman evolves from the new arrival to a spirited figure donning a yachting cap, proudly proclaiming himself the new ‘captain fun.’ His unwavering enthusiasm and dedication to the chaotic environment of ‘Rockin’ Grandma’s’ are truly remarkable, especially considering he believed he was merely undertaking a temporary assignment and participating in a documentary about the corporate landscape.