FUBAR Season 2 Review: More Chaos, Less Charm

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back with more chaos, explosions, and one-liners in Season 2 of FUBAR, now streaming on Netflix. While the first season set the stage with its fun blend of father-daughter espionage and undercover family drama, this new batch of episodes doesn’t quite stick the landing. There’s still fun to be had, especially when the cast leans into their quirky dynamics, but a few plot misfires and underwhelming action sequences hold the show back.

Living under one roof gets messy

Season 2 picks up months after that wild cliffhanger in Season 1. Luke and Emma Brunner, played by Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro, are now stuck living in a CIA-run safe house. Alongside them? Their family, friends, and a handful of agency colleagues. It’s a setup that screams sitcom-meets-spy-thriller, and for a moment, it works.

The comedy really comes through in the small moments. Like when the group tries to host a birthday party at a knockoff Chuck E. Cheese-style play zone, only to have it end in total carnage. Animatronics destroyed, parents screaming, confetti flying while bullets whiz past — classic FUBAR. These bits remind us why this show found an audience in the first place. It’s not about realism. It’s about watching an ex-Terminator juggle family bonding and firepower.

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Love triangles and dead ends

Unfortunately, much of the season’s energy is drained by an awkward subplot involving Carrie-Anne Moss. She joins the cast as Greta Nelso, a former East German spy and Luke’s old flame. Their interactions range from mildly amusing to painfully stiff. Greta wants Luke back. But Luke is maybe still into his ex-wife, Tally (Fabiana Udenio). This triangle becomes the emotional center for several episodes, and not in a good way.

Every time the show leans into this romance storyline, the pace slows down. Moss and Schwarzenegger have chemistry in flashes — mostly when they’re poking fun at their age or past spy adventures — but the writing doesn’t give them much to work with. Their scenes often feel disconnected from the rest of the show’s tone.

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Action still isn’t the star

Let’s be honest. Nobody expects FUBAR to reinvent action on TV. But even by those standards, Season 2’s fight choreography feels flat. Shootouts are repetitive. Hand-to-hand scenes are too predictable. The stunts lack spark. You can see the effort to give Arnold some classic moments, but it’s more nostalgia than intensity.

What helps carry the weaker action is the cast’s commitment. Barbaro continues to shine as Emma. She’s quick, agile, and delivers just enough sass and emotion to balance her dad’s gruff style. Watching Emma and Luke tag-team a mission still gives the show its strongest scenes, especially when they aren’t bickering but actually working as partners.

Supporting cast brings heart and humor

One thing that still works? The ensemble. Jay Baruchel’s Carter, Emma’s ex, is back and still hilariously lost in the world of covert ops. His regular-guy charm stands out, especially when paired with Andy Buckley’s Donnie. Donnie has fully embraced the post-breakup, mid-safe-house breakdown life. Refusing to wear pants, eating cereal with beer, and sulking through tense standoffs, he’s become a lovable mess.

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Fortune Feimster and Travis Van Winkle, who play Roo and Aldon, are great on their own, but sadly don’t get as much shared screen time this season. Their chemistry was a standout in Season 1, so splitting them up feels like a missed opportunity. Still, both actors bring energy when they do pop up.

Milan Carter’s Barry is another highlight. As the group’s tech guy, he’s often behind a screen or running surveillance, but his loyalty and warmth come through in key moments. He’s the kind of character who quietly holds the team together, emotionally if not tactically.

Family drama stays the core

While Season 2 stumbles in several places, the emotional center of the show remains the complicated bond between Luke and Emma. Their dynamic has shifted from constant tension to something more mature. They’re learning to respect each other. To trust each other. It’s these small growth moments — like when they share advice or silently cover each other during a mission — that give the show heart.

Even when the writing feels clunky, Schwarzenegger and Barbaro manage to pull off scenes that feel earned. Watching them grow as a team, not just as operatives but as father and daughter, keeps the show grounded when everything else goes sideways.

FUBAR still knows what it is

At the end of the day, FUBAR isn’t pretending to be prestige TV. It’s a wild, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes touching, action-comedy with a cast that seems to genuinely enjoy working together. And that energy does come through, even when the story tries to do too much or loses focus.

Season 2 keeps the spirit of the show alive — chaotic, heartfelt, and packed with dad jokes. But with more polish on the action and less time spent on lukewarm love triangles, it could’ve landed harder. Still, fans of Season 1 will likely find enough here to keep watching, especially for the moments when the cast is just being weird together inside that very crowded safe house.