"Geniusly funny and surprisingly heart-warming"
Bert Vanden Berghe / KW
For those who have been living under a rock for the past few years: in the hilarious fiction series 'Nonkels' we saw how the arrival of the Cameroonian refugee Innocent turned the lives of three West Flemish brothers upside down. There was slipper hero Luc, who suddenly came under even more fire from his wife Carine. Brother and artificial grass king Willy tried to capitalize on it, while the clumsy brother Pol messed everything up and at the same time saved the furniture.
In this second season, the thread picks up quite quickly after the previous events. Innocent takes an integration course, where he meets the handsome Safa. This in turn doesn't sit well with Pol, who fears that their sham marriage will blow up in their faces. Luc manages to get a job at the local garden center, but when they also sell artificial grass, Willy gets nervous.
Avant-Premiere Teaser
Honestly? We were a bit nervous about this second season. Before you know, there is a frantic search for one-liners or jokes that feel too forced. Moreover, we already know that Willy is easily agitated and that Luc is afraid of his wife. Can you come up with a new storyline that remains fresh and surprising? Yes, as it quickly turns out. And how!
“Some scenes are so incredibly silly, but that's why they're so good”
Only now it is really noticeable how well those characters were portrayed in the first season. The humor is sometimes kolderic, yes. With a setting like a bowling- or golf course, you know what to expect – there is always someone who gets something thrown in his face. But if it's done well, like here, it works without further ado.
Some scenes are so greatly foolish, but at the same time that's why it's so good. The fantastic scenes with Barbara Sarafian for example, so over the top but you're never taken out of the story. Although the real humor is again hidden in the uncomfortable conversations or the deputy shame. And there is no shortage of that. The service voucher scene, for example. It passes almost carelessly, but it's genuinely funny.
Episode 04 - Scene 12
There is a danger that we might take it a little too seriously, but the underlying idea is that the series is also very well put together. While the arrival of Innocent brought certain family structures into question, that facade continues to crumble. It is no coincidence that Uncle Willy literally tries to build a wall, but gets himself into trouble more than anything else. While the characters in the first series were able to conveniently run away from those questions they preferred not to ask themselves, they can no longer avoid them. This again produces very interesting dynamics, with a surprisingly heart-warming undertone towards the end.
The makers effortlessly undermine the half-baked criticism of the first season with the question 'whether we can laugh at certain things' by making the series even more inclusive. What's more: while some series often feel like they have to, every role - from William Boeva to Jaimie Van Kerschaver - is an essential part of the plot and therefore an added value.
The only negative thing we can think of about this series is that it might make it even more difficult to make a rock-solid third season. Because we shouldn't be silly, that's what's coming when you see this. Until then, enjoy this season!
Nonkels 2 - Streamz Teaser
Production: FBO
Writers: Jelle De Beule & Floris Schillebeeckx
Director: Jelle Gordyn
Producer: Peter Ceustermans
Writers: Jelle De Beule & Floris Schillebeeckx
Director: Jelle Gordyn
Producer: Peter Ceustermans