Heading into Wolf Like Me Season 2, there’s already an inherent advantage that this sophomore outing has over its predecessor: being able to talk about the supernatural secret that advice columnist Mary (Isla Fisher) has been hiding since the beginning of the series. Back then, reviewers weren’t even allowed to breathe a word of the fact that the show’s female lead was a werewolf, let alone hint at it — although subsequent marketing had no such hesitation about spoiling the reveal in the days following the Season 1 premiere. Now that the secret is out — at least for the audience — we can all breathe something like a sigh of relief. That might still not be the case for Mary, her new boyfriend Gary (Josh Gad), and Gary’s daughter Emma (Ariel Donoghue), who have forged a found family (or found pack) of their own through the hairy circumstances (and multiple car wrecks) that brought them together in the first place. Now, Mary’s pregnant, and with that bombshell comes a lot of complications, not to mention the overhanging question of whether the baby has inherited its mother’s genetic tendency for wolfing out at every full moon.

Jokes about Mary potentially eating her baby aside, Wolf Like Me Season 2 does lean into more of what made the first installment of this show so fun to watch. There are still those emotionally vulnerable scenes where Gad and Fisher prove themselves well-matched as an on-screen couple, as Gary struggles to put the finishing touches on a transformation basement for Mary’s shifts and Mary frequently has dreams about her unborn child clawing its way out of her from the inside. But there are also more obvious and more distinct instances of creator and writer Abe Forsythe’s wicked humor, which only continue to emphasize that these are very relatable people trying to cope with a completely unprecedented situation. It’s a funnier turn for the series overall, playing up more of the comedy side of Wolf Like Me’s dramedy label, but it doesn’t sacrifice important moments of character sensitivity in the process.

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‘Wolf Like Me’ Season 2 Is About the Real Struggles of Impending Parenthood
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While Mary and Gary’s situation may be unique, the emotions dredged up by veering closer and closer to the biggest shift of all in their relationship are entirely possible to identify with. Mary’s reluctance to even have an ultrasound, fearing what might be revealed inside her, is a symptom of greater anxiety. Her ongoing concern that she might harm the baby while she’s in wolf mode stems from deeper worries that she simply doesn’t have a mothering bone in her body. Gary, who does his best to maintain a position of reassurance and comfort — even if it means throwing himself into renovating Mary’s new transformation basement and including all kinds of expensive upgrades — still wrestles with his own inner doubts. Outwardly, he insists he’s convinced that Mary will never hurt him when she’s wolfed out, especially after the incident in the Season 1 finale where she’d protected him and Emma in a remote part of the Australian outback. But is he willing to put his faith in his partner to the ultimate test when he’s confronted with stark reminders that Mary’s wolf is, at her core, an animal, with all the instincts and urges that accompany that?

It doesn’t matter how heightened the stakes become or how many car wrecks Mary and Gary get into this season — spoiler alert, there are possibly even more than Season 1 this time around — because the narrative is still grounded in those important notes of realism. Fisher and Gad seem much more firmly rooted not only in their respective characters but also in a relationship that’s deepened in nature. While there might still be hiccups of trust here and there, especially when Anton, a handsome stranger from Mary’s past (Édgar Ramírez), just so happens to show up at their baby shower, some of the best aspects of the show are found in Mary and Gary still choosing each other and the family that’s about to expand.

‘Wolf Like Me’ Season 2’s Best Relationship Isn’t Who You Think
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With all that in mind, the romance at the show’s heart isn’t even its best dynamic. Although Mary began the series as an unexpected presence in the lives of Gary and Emma, and never sought to be a replacement for the wife and mom they’d lost, Season 2 finds her instinctively taking up the mantle of protective mama wolf — especially where Emma is concerned.

Even if Mary and Gary haven’t made any moves to get hitched at this point, it’s clear that Mary and Emma’s bond is strengthening on its own, and when the young girl ends up in the principal’s office at school, Mary is right there in the parents’ meeting alongside Gary to serve as Emma’s biggest line of defense. Their connection through music also continues to grow, with Emma choosing songs meant to keep Mary in a calmer state during her transformations as well as helping to build out her birthing playlist, which leads to some of the best needle-drop moments in the entire season. It’s what makes later instances of familial distrust so heartbreaking and frustrating, as Mary’s strange nocturnal habits start to attract attention from Gary’s sister-in-law Sarah (Emma Lung) and her partner Ray (Anthony Taufa), and the resulting battle over what’s best for Emma’s well-being leads to a shift that will likely change the course of the show.

‘Wolf Like Me’ Season 2 Sets the Stage for a Big Finale
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Looking back at Wolf Like Me Season 1, the story being told almost felt like its own complete tale, a long movie broken up into smaller installments. While the finale may have been a bit more open-ended as the bedraggled family drove toward the sunrise, Season 2 is where the series unflinchingly leans into its format, reminding us late in the game that there might be some very real consequences for what transpired in the outback.

Over the course of all seven episodes provided for review, there are reveals too good to spoil, jokes best left experienced without advance teasing, and a conclusion that will render even the most prepared of viewers uncertain about where the story will go next. This isn’t just a season that inherently explores the next phase of an evolving relationship; it also takes the best parts of its storytelling and amplifies them to a degree that only benefits the show and its characters.

Wolf Like Me Season 1 was the beginning of a show that could have concluded without any necessity for more, but Season 2 sets up a story for a potential third season that all but demands to be told. It goes funnier, delves deeper, expands its own world, develops its relationships, and launches the series into even more unexpected territory than before. In other words, Wolf Like Me transforms itself — into something better and more brilliant.

Rating: A-

The Big Picture

Season 2 of Wolf Like Me embraces the supernatural secret of Mary being a werewolf, allowing for more exploration of her character and the comedic aspects of the show. The impending parenthood of Mary and Gary brings up real struggles and anxieties, including Mary’s fear of harming the baby and Gary’s doubts about trusting Mary’s animal instincts. The bond between Mary and Emma grows stronger, with Mary taking on the role of a protective mother figure. However, familial distrust threatens their relationship and could have significant consequences for the show’s future.

Wolf Like Me Season 2 premieres with all episodes Thursday, October 19 on Peacock.