Warning! SPOILERS for Space Force.
Space Force season 2 might have been better if the sci-fi workplace comedy put the spotlight on some of its highly underutilized side characters. Many of the side characters in Space Force are played by veteran standup comics or comedic actors. Unfortunately, these actors were given much less screen time and dialog compared to the rest of the Space Force cast of characters.
To be fair, in Space Force season 2, the show's writers did try to pull the focus from Steve Carrell's General Mark Naird and John Malkovich's Dr. Adrian Mallory – the two most important people in the agency. Indeed, Space Force season 2 explored the traumas of Captain Angela Ali (Tawny Newsome), the hopes of Dr. Chan Kaifang (Jimmy O. Yang), and the developing relationship between the two. Audiences also got to know Space Force head of PR F. Tony Scarapiducci (Ben Schwartz) a little better this season. That said, these characters are still part of the main cast, and have already had their chance to shine in Space Force season 1.
Indeed, Space Force missed tons of comedic opportunities by not giving any major scenes to certain side characters, who weren't even included when everyone in sang The Beach Boys' “Kokomo” during the Space Force finale. This includes Chris Gethard and Aparna Nancherla who respectively play tradesmen-turned astronauts Eddie and Pella Bhat, as well as Jane Lynch who plays U.S. Navy Admiral Mayweather. For starters, Aparna Nancherla is a veteran standup comic who's known for her roles in Bojack Horseman, Bob's Burgers, Corporate, and Mythic Quest. Meanwhile, Chris Gethard is a standup comic and an indie comedy icon. Apart from his stint as a writer and performer in Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Gethard also created and hosted The Chris Gethard Show, and appears in National Lampoon Radio Hour, Broad City, and Inside Amy Schumer. As for Jane Lynch, the veteran actor is well-known for her performances in Glee, Role Models, and the severely underrated workplace comedy series Party Down. Despite their respective comedic pedigrees, Lynch, Nancherla, and Gethard were all sidelined in Space Force season 2.
This could be related to why Space Force season 2 only has seven episodes – three fewer episodes than the first season. The reason for this is that the show was given a limited budget after Space Force season 1 failed to perform as expected back in 2020. Had Space Force season 2 been green-lit for 10 instead of just seven episodes, there could have been more screen time for Chris Gethard's Eddie, Aparla Nancherla's Pella Bhat, and Jane Lynch's Admiral Mayweather. Instead, Space Force season 2 focused on the wrong characters, resulting in missed opportunities for interactions between these three and their fellow comedy veterans Steve Carrel and John Malkovich. Ultimately, this led to the second season being comedically lackluster compared to the first.
Space Force's cast is absolutely brimming with underutilized comedic talent. As the ending of Space Force season 2 sets up the foundations for what might be the show's best season yet, there's still hope for these sidelined side characters. It would be a pleasant surprise if either Eddie, Pella Bhat, or Admiral Mayweather end up having a larger role in dealing with the huge asteroid that's fast approaching Earth – or at least have more interactions with the main cast.
Space Force is streaming on Netflix.