DISCLAIMER: This review contains mild spoilers for We Are Lady Parts Season 2. Proceed at your peril.
Your favorite Muslim punk band is back for more musical adventures.
After three long, agonizing years, We Are Lady Parts has returned for a much-anticipated encore. Nida Manzoor‘s high-octane, joyful comedy shows no signs of slowing down in its second season, pulling zero punches and delivering powerhouse anthems in equal measure. Dare I say it, Season 2 is even better than Season 1 (and I love Season 1).
About We Are Lady Parts Season 2
Here’s a synopsis of the season per Peacock:
“Season 2 of We Are Lady Parts sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first UK tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embarks on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether ‘making it big’ is really what they want.”
The series stars Anjana Vasan, Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole, Lucie Shorthouse, Aiysha Hart, Zaqi Ismail and Shobu Kapoor.
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Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
Season 2 examines many of the same themes while expanding its exploration into other arenas. With the band becoming more well-known and establishing a fan base, Manzoor delves into the capitalist side of music. We see what happens when artists are thrust into the mainstream. Do you sacrifice your moral compass and musical integrity for all the lofty perks accompanying fame? Much of Saira’s journey, in particular, is about straddling that line. Will she lose parts of herself to launch her band into the stratosphere? This season, Impey is a force of nature, delivering a firecracker performance infused with vulnerability and complexity.
With these new elements, there’s plenty of room for narrative play, and the show knocks it all out of the park. Additionally, Season 2 dives deeper into the rest of the main cast beyond Amina. Manzoor thoughtfully fleshes out these characters we love, and the cast churns out nuanced, impactful work.
Character Journeys and Performances
In addition to Saira’s story, Amina’s arc navigates romance, sexuality and what’s permissible as a Muslim. How do you express love while holding fast to your religious principles? Vasan continues to lead the charge as our endearing, layered and relatable narrator. Amina’s anxiety and people-pleasing nature are aspects that profoundly resonate with me. Her embracing her “villain era” and barreling down the path of self-care is gratifying to watch.
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Bisma gets a moving storyline this season as she explores the nuances of her Blackness and Muslim identity. How do the two intersect? A significant part of this is embracing her hair, which is celebrated in the Black community, while wearing a headscarf. Another element of her story is being a mom. Society is so quick to label mothers as unsexy after they have children. Omole offers stellar work, beautifully bringing Bisma’s arc to life as she moves through these deep inner questions to the other side.
Representation
Meanwhile, Ayesha struggles with coming out to her parents and being the voice of the queer community, as members of another Muslim band, Second Wife, dub her. The season deftly addresses the topic of representation and what that means to marginalized communities. One character sagely advises Ayesha to be an example for herself instead of others. BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folks need to see her doing what’s best for herself.
The narrative explores what it means to be radical and live your truth and how bands like Lady Parts grapple with the unspoken onus of blazing trails for future generations.
Lastly, Momtaz, easily the most confident member of the group, undergoes a moment of shakiness this season. Shorthouse weaves through this like a pro, showing us how Momtaz evolves and grows her label.
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Other solid performances include Zaqi Ismail as Ahsan, Shobu Kapoor as Seema and Aiysha Hart as Noor. Kapoor is always hilarious and heartwarming as Amina’s supportive mother, while Hart shows us a new facet of Noor this season (and it’s wonderful). Ismail delivers standout work in Season 2. He leans into Ahsan’s goofier, geekier side, a far cry from the “cool guy” we met in Season 1.
The Reason
We Are Lady Parts wades the rom-com waters to great effect, expanding on that aspect from the first season. Manzoor has a blast playing with those tropes in Season 2, so buckle up if you’re a rom-com fan. One particular beat in the season finale delightfully subverts one of those tropes.
In addition to the rom-com of it all, Season 2 allows other band members to have those surrealist, fantastical breaks from reality. These aren’t exclusive to Amina anymore. Some are hilarious; others are compelling, gut-punching moments. Manzoor artfully plays with these genre-bending elements to convey crucial messages.
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Other themes Manzoor addresses this season include labels and their penchant for diversity hires, exoticizing people of color and whether one can be themselves and succeed in a white supremacist, patriarchal, heteronormative society. Of course, it’s all depicted through a sharply witty, cheeky lens, as only this show can do.
The narrative and the songs go hand-in-hand this season. The story expertly builds into the music, providing some of the most cathartic moments of the season. I desperately need the Season 2 soundtrack now (and band merch).
Rock On
Overall, We Are Lady Parts Season 2 goes above and beyond—it’s wittier, funnier, cleverer and more emotionally resonant. It navigates the nuances and complexities of identity and religion and how they fare in a world full of injustices. Throw in top-tier, balls-to-the-wall performances from the cast, toe-tapping tunes and laugh-out-loud dialogue, and you’ve got a series that epitomizes the true essence of punk rock.
We Are Lady Parts Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Peacock.
This article was originally published on 5/30/24.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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