My Review of Big Boys - Series 2 (2024)

After the surprise success of the first series of this charming show, Channel 4 finally premiered the second series and now I'm reviewing it.

Written by Jack Rooke

Directed by Jim Archer

Jack: "I keep fancying straight guys."

Danny: "Yeah, that's going to be a problem."

If you watch the first series, you know who the main players are. You've got Jack (Dylan Llewellyn), his straight best mate Danny (Jon Pointing) and fellow students Corinne (Izuka Hoyle) and Yemi (Olisa Odele). It's their second year at university and once again, they're trying to find themselves as best they can.

It's a good depiction of that struggle as the foursome tackle mental health issues, new partners, an unexpected pregnancy which lead to an abortion as well as an episode dedicated to work experience. While Jack put his mouth in it at a radio station, you had both Danny and Corinne somewhat in their element while working for a lads magazine. As for Yemi, there was a brief look into his work as a cam guy, which naturally also connected to Jack in a way.

Specifically it connected to the character of Oscar (Jake Dunn). He's the closest to a love interest that Jack got this series but Oscar was also a big fan of Yemi's and hooked up with him too. Jack almost copped off with Oscar for real in the penultimate episode this series, only for another major storyline to impede said hook up going ahead. Oscar's quite the cutie but we don't see enough of him to get invested.

Jack's love life really didn't progress that much this series. We didn't get a lot with him and Oscar and there was an episode where he was a bit too obsessed with knowing what his abrasive tutor Tim's (Robert Gilbert) sexuality was that even Danny had to call him out on it. As for Danny and Corinne, the show kept hinting at an endgame for them but we didn't quite get it, in spite of some genuinely great moments with both characters throughout this series.

One thing that also stood out this series was a larger focus on Jack's cousin, Shannon (Harriet Webb). At times, the focus was a bit more than expected as Shannon fell pregnant by nice delivery guy Tariq (Shane Zaza) and ended up giving birth in the last episode. As for the name she gave the baby - Nanny Bingo (Annette Badland) wasn't wrong about the child getting bullied. The last episode alone had some great flashbacks to the last few days of Jack's father, Laurie (Ian Burfield), especially for the scenes with Shannon and Nanny showing their softer sides.

Speaking of softer sides, I absolutely loved the various scenes that Peggy (Camille Coduri) had with both Jack and Danny this series and I thought her burgeoning romance with Russell (James Doherty) was rather sweet. Peggy definitely proved to be a better parent to Danny than the latter's father, Dennis (Marc Warren), who really was awful and wanted to take poor Iris's (Sheila Reid) flat during Danny's birthday. There's a great line about choosing family that really packed a punch when it came to the finale.

- Episode titles were The Boys Are Back In Town, Strictly Cum Dumping, Tennis Table Tennis, Surprise Surprise, All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Gay and The Night When.

- Jack Rooke appeared in the very last scene of the series, giving this a very final feel.

- I did laugh at that glory hole gag Jack had to endure in the first episode.

- We got a Derry Girls reunion as Louisa Harland popped up as a midwife in the last episode.

- All4 released the series in December but Channel 4 waited to air it during Sundays from January.

- Chronology: A few months after the first series before heading to May 2015.

Series 2 of Big Boys felt like it could've been a good place to have the series end, given that final scene but at the same time, it kind of left me wanting one more series. There was a lot to enjoy with the series and yet again, the male friendships are some of the best depicted on telly. 

Rating: 9 out of 10