Brow Beat

Enlightened was easily one of the most interesting series on television last year. A half-hour show that is often funny but is not really a sitcom, it stars Laura Dern as Amy Jellicoe, a former executive and current low-level employee of Abaddonn Industries, a sort of Johnson & Johnson-like corporation. (Amy used to work in the health and beauty department, but has been re-assigned to cleaning supplies.) Its supporting players—including Timm Sharp as Dougie—are terrific, and the storylines were refreshingly unpredictable.

While I liked that Season 1, unlike most TV series, was hardly ever overwrought, the show did sometimes seem too low key for its own good. Happily, though, the Season 2 trailer suggests there is some serious drama to come. The first season ended with the suggestion that Amy was about to become a whistleblower—Abaddonn has apparently indulged in some corporate shenanigans—and it looks like Season 2 will see that story through (in, I suspect, unpredictable fashion).

The show returns Sunday, Jan. 13, following Girls (in a smart pairing by HBO). You can watch the trailer for Season 2 below.