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There was excitement behind the new Netflix sitcom Running Point last year. From Mindy Kaling, who has starred in, written, and produced some of the best sitcoms of the 21st century, including The Office, Never Have I Ever, and The Mindy Project, the Kate Hudson–centric series never finds a consistent comedic footing.
However, the second season is improved, allowing Hudson to be more of the butt of the joke. Bringing back guest stars from Kaling’s previous projects infuses the series with more laughs, which was desperately needed because the main cast lacks chemistry. Yet, the series is still going through the motions, playing it far too safe for a comedy.
What is Netflix’s Running Point About?
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Justin Theroux and Ken Marino in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Justin Theroux in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Max Greenfield in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Toby Sandeman in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Kate Hudson in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Ray Romano in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Uche Agada and Chet Hanks star in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Jay Ellis and Kate Hudson in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Kate Hudson in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Kate Hudson, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Brenda Song, and Fabrizio Guido in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
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Scott MacArthur, Kate Hudson, and Drew Tarver in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via Netflix
At the end of last season, the Waves lost the championship, but not their pride. The family is now unified behind Isla (Oscar-winner Kate Hudson), who shared a kiss with her head basketball coach, Jay (Top Gun: Maverick’s Jay Ellis). However, when she arrives the next day for work as the Waves’ esteemed president, she finds Cam (Justin Theroux) in her office.
Sitting in her chair, Cam seems intent on reclaiming his position after his court-ordered drug rehabilitation. This sets up a season-long struggle between the siblings. Their other brothers, Sandy (Unfrosted’s Drew Tarver), Ness (Spider-Noire’s Scott MacArthur), and Jackie (World War Z’s Fabrizio Guido), are caught in the middle.
A major conflict centers on the new head coach after Jay leaves for Boston. Isla ignores Cam’s efforts to hire the next dynamic young coach, opting instead for a more seasoned choice (Ray Romano). Then there are the uber-eccentric investors who fund Cam’s drug habit (Ken Marino) and who cannot afford to meet Ali’s (Brenda Song) asking price.
Netflix’s Running Point Season 2 Review
Kate Hudson in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via NetflixThe addition of guest stars like Romano and Marino infuses the series with the comedy it desperately needs. Then, thankfully, Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), a frequent Mindy Kaling collaborator, brings an eccentric comedic spark in moments when the show drifts into dull family affairs.
However, the show features fewer basketball scenes, a downside of the first season. What should happen, and has improved, though not enough, is that basketball becomes a backdrop. Instead, the show still uses it to drive the story, even though the characters and family dynamics should be doing so on their own.
Yes, one of the draws is that it is loosely based on the life and career of Jeanie Buss—and when we say “loosely,” we mean in spirit only. Ellis is the Phil Jackson character, on whom their romance is based. Romano is the Rudy Tomjanovich who won championships with the Houston Rockets and took over after Jackson left the Lakers.
Is Netflix’s Running Point Season 2 Worth Watching?
Kate Hudson in Running Point Season 2 (2025) | Image via NetflixYes, the comedy is improved, but the main cast still recycles the same storylines and humor as it limps toward the finish line. The characters rely on cliché jokes and dull plot points, staying just above water only when the show deviates from Hudson and company to focus on the more hilarious guest spots.
While Hudson is comedically capable, and Mindy Kaling uses a few flashbacks in the early episodes to show some humility, the series should thrive by making the main character the source of self-aware, self-absorbed humor with a touch of self-loathing. Yet, for some reason, the show never shows enough humility to accomplish that.
The best streaming comedy series when the main characters are in on the joke about themselves. This cannot be accomplished while protecting cast egos, which is the main failure of Running Point this season, the last, and probably any future installments.
You can stream the entire second season of Running Point on April 23rd. All ten episodes were screened for this review.
Running Point Season 2 Review: Better, Sharper, But Still Comedically Uneven
While improved, this Mindy Kaling produced Netflix comedy, is still going through the motions by full embracing making Kate Hudson's Isla the butt of the joke. This is the main failure of Running Point this season, the last, and probably any future installments.
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