The Chair Season 2 - What We Know So Far
The world of academia is filled with conflict. As students attempt to pass their classes to go on to get great jobs, the professors themselves deal with everything from angry parents to tenure rejection. If you've ever wanted a first-hand glimpse into this cutthroat world, make sure to check out the newest Netflix dramedy working its way up the Top 10 chart — "The Chair."
The show's all about Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim (Sandra Oh), the first woman and person of color to head the English department chair at the fictional Pembroke University. This comes with many responsibilities, from ensuring her colleagues have the resources they need to do their jobs to making sure the Dean stays happy. It results in plenty of humorous scenarios, but the show's also not afraid of being deathly serious.
Sandra Oh has numerous fans who will watch anything she's in, and people seemed to come out in droves for "The Chair." Stay up-to-date with everything related to the show's future by checking out all we know so far about Season 2.
What's the release date for The Chair Season 2?
First and foremost, it's important to note that as of this writing, Netflix has not officially renewed "The Chair" for a second season. The first came out on August 20, 2021, so the company will likely wait to see what the reaction's like a month or two after release. However, there are reasons to be optimistic.
The show seems to be a big hit with subscribers. The show had no problem becoming one of the 10 most-watched TV shows on Netflix shortly after it came out. Plus, it's a big hit quality-wise for critics and audiences alike, according to those respective scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
Assuming Netflix renews "The Chair" for Season 2 in the near future, production hopefully can begin soon. Most shows tend to have one year between seasons, so fans should expect another season to debut around August or September of 2022. Of course, delays from the COVID-19 pandemic could complicate matters.
Who's in the cast for The Chair Season 2?
In the event "The Chair" comes back for Season 2, we'd expect much of the same cast to come back. Sandra Oh would probably return as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, who went through one ordeal after the next throughout the first season. It's unlikely things would get easier for future episodes, so more adventures hopefully will be in store.
Joining Oh for more "The Chair" would be Jay Duplass, who's mostly known as a director for mumblecore films like "The Puffy Chair" and "Jeff, Who Lives at Home." However, he's also acted in movies like "Paper Towns," "The Oath," and "Horse Girl."
Other actors we'd expect to return include Bob Balaban as Dr. Elliot Rentz, Holland Taylor as Dr. Joan Hambling, David Morse as Dean Paul Larson, Everly Carganilla as Ju-Hee Kim, and Nana Mensah as Dr. Yaz McKay. Of course, as is the case with any new school year, expect some new faces to pop up, too.
What's the plot for The Chair Season 2?
The ending of "The Chair" Season 1 tied up many plot threads nicely, but a few stragglers still require resolution. The finale depicted Ji-Yoon losing her chair position within the English department and handing it over to another capable woman — Joan. She's now in charge, and Ji-Yoon seems focused on maintaining better relationships with her family members while emphasizing her students' needs in the process.
Ultimately, "The Chair" took a good, hard look at the rampant sexism and racism that still exists within higher education. Ji-Yoon may have been the first Asian woman to be the chair of the English department at this school, but she still struggled to wield this newfound power. She discovered that even with the title, she still came up against systemic issues that required more than just firing a problematic professor. She needs to change the system from the inside, so future seasons could continue to explore that idea.