NBC Dethrones Tracy Morgan As The Best Part Of The Fall And Rise of Reggie Dinkins In Season 2 | Review

NBC Universal The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Season 2 premiere delivers family drama and laughs, but Reggie's comeback storyline struggles to impress. Published Nov 2, 2026, 9:00 PM EST Mads Misasi is an entertainment journalist and marketing content creator. Before joining the ScreenRant team they wrote for TellTaleTV for 9 years working their way up from contributor to Associate Editor. TV has been a passion of theirs since a very young age. Mads typically watches all of the things, especially dramas and sitcoms. NBC's The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins returns for season 2 with its titular character still determined to reclaim the fame and respect he lost following his football career. Reggie made considerable progress toward rehabilitating his public image during the first season, but the premiere makes it clear that winning people over isn't quite as simple as he hoped. Fortunately, the people surrounding him have plenty of their own problems to keep audiences entertained. The first season established an entertaining dynamic between Reggie, played by SNL alum Tracy Morgan, his family, and documentary filmmaker Arthur Tobin, whose efforts to capture the former football star's comeback frequently complicated matters. Those relationships remain central to the series, with the documentary continuing to provide opportunities for the characters to undermine themselves without necessarily recognizing what they're doing. However, the season 2 premiere, "We Keep the Kisses," is particularly interesting because its strongest storyline has relatively little to do with Reggie's comeback. Carmelo's secret relationship with Delilah Basmati creates an amusing conflict that could have much larger implications for the entire family. Given the animosity between Reggie and Jerry Basmati, there's considerable potential for the romance to complicate an already difficult situation. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins season 2 gets off to a promising, if somewhat uneven, start. The premiere delivers several memorable jokes and capitalizes on the ensemble's chemistry, but certain moments struggle to maintain the same momentum. Although Reggie's latest attempts to rebuild his reputation are central to the episode, the more entertaining developments frequently happen elsewhere. Carmelo's Secret Romance Is The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins Season 2's Best Storyline NBC Universal The episode wastes little time establishing the trouble Carmelo's relationship could cause. Arthur, who already knows about the romance, recognizes its potential for drama and compares the Dinkins and Basmati families to the Montagues and Capulets. Naturally, he also offers Autobots and Decepticons as a more contemporary comparison, demonstrating how readily the filmmaker can turn someone's personal problems into documentary material. Radcliffe continues to be the strongest comedic performer, particularly when Arthur's enthusiasm for storytelling gets in the way of his relationships with the people he's filming. His interactions with Carmelo are especially entertaining, beginning with Carmelo's unsuccessful attempt to bribe him with breakfast before resorting to blackmail involving an embarrassing video of Arthur wearing a towel. Their exchange works because Arthur isn't particularly interested in exposing Carmelo's secret. Instead, he's convinced the truth will eventually emerge without his intervention. The prospect of capturing that revelation on camera is apparently more appealing than forcing the issue himself, further establishing how Arthur's professional interests can conflict with his personal attachments. Things become considerably more complicated when Brina discovers evidence of Carmelo's girlfriend and quickly identifies Delilah through social media. Her reaction provides another entertaining example of how the Dinkins family's loyalty can become excessive. She demands that Carmelo end the relationship rather than risk undermining the progress Reggie has made. The confrontation grows funnier as Rusty reveals that he has overheard everything through a connected ventilation system. Between Brina's outrage, Rusty's grievances against the Basmatis, and Arthur's increasing concern about keeping the secret, Carmelo finds himself surrounded by people convinced they know what's best for him. What makes the storyline particularly effective is that Carmelo's relationship isn't simply another obstacle for Reggie to overcome. It's a meaningful conflict between the younger generation's personal happiness and the older generation's longstanding rivalry. Carmelo and Delilah shouldn't necessarily have to sacrifice their relationship because of a feud they didn't create, even if their families have legitimate reasons to distrust one another. Season 2 may be at its strongest when it recognizes that Reggie's comeback is only one part of a much bigger family story. The episode briefly suggests that Carmelo has surrendered to the pressure when he and Delilah stage an emotional breakup. However, Arthur eventually realizes that the couple has only taken their relationship off the grid. It's an amusing reversal that also allows Carmelo to demonstrate considerably more agency than his family gives him credit for. More importantly, Arthur's realization that he may have contributed to their unhappiness adds an unexpected emotional dimension. His decision to stay out of their relationship this time suggests some growth, even if his fascination with the unfolding drama remains obvious. With Jerry Basmati's importance to Reggie's ongoing struggles, Carmelo and Delilah's secret could become one of Season 2's most consequential developments. Reggie's Latest Comeback Attempt Exposes The Premiere's Biggest Weakness NBC Universal While Carmelo's relationship provides the episode's most engaging material, Reggie continues pursuing the recognition he believes he deserves. His growing acceptance among the public is amusingly illustrated when a passing cyclist announces that he's becoming increasingly ambivalent toward the former football player. Reggie's delighted reaction perfectly captures how low his expectations have become. Monica is equally committed to improving his reputation, hiring a young marketing professional named Max to help expand their efforts. His arrival creates an opportunity to explore the increasingly absurd lengths celebrities must go to remain relevant, especially when attention seems more valuable than genuine accomplishments. Unfortunately, this storyline isn't consistently as entertaining as the material surrounding Carmelo. Max's efforts to turn Reggie's upcoming Sunday Night Football interview into a viral moment rely on predictable publicity gimmicks, including introducing Rusty's ferret, Slinky, into the equation. Although the setup has comedic potential, the resulting interview becomes one of the premiere's weaker sequences. Reggie's opportunity to discuss his potential Hall of Fame recognition should represent meaningful progress. Instead, the interview falls apart because Slinky is hiding beneath his clothing, forcing him to leave abruptly. The situation fits the show's established humor, but the execution lacks the energy of the family drama unfolding elsewhere. Max's subsequent meltdown, after Monica and Reggie discover him filming strange videos in her office, similarly stretches the joke beyond its strongest point. His bizarre side hustle and complaints about his life provide another example of the series embracing absurdity, but the sequence does little to make the character particularly interesting. The issue isn't that the premiere lacks funny moments involving Reggie. Morgan remains entertaining, particularly when his character responds to setbacks with a mixture of wounded pride and surprising optimism. However, the episode is noticeably more engaging when the ensemble's personal relationships take precedence over another attempt to manufacture positive publicity. Fortunately, the premiere finds some genuine emotional grounding in a late-night conversation between Reggie and Arthur. Reggie compares his seemingly endless setbacks to Sisyphus pushing a rock uphill, but recognizes that having someone alongside him makes the struggle more manageable. It's a thoughtful moment that reinforces how much their relationship has developed. That conversation also influences Arthur's perspective on Carmelo and Delilah, giving the episode's two primary storylines a satisfying thematic connection. Both examine the importance of having someone willing to stand beside you when circumstances become difficult, whether that's a friend supporting a comeback or a romantic partner facing family opposition. Monica's final publicity idea, capitalizing on the return of preventable diseases by reusing Reggie's old public service announcements, delivers another appropriately cynical joke. Reggie’s observation that he can make a comeback if measles can is ridiculous, but it also highlights how effectively the series can incorporate contemporary commentary into its humor. Ultimately, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins remains a comedy with an appealing ensemble and enough character-driven material to sustain another season. The premiere doesn't consistently balance its competing storylines, and Reggie's professional struggles occasionally feel less compelling than the personal lives unfolding around him. Nevertheless, Carmelo's secret romance introduces an entertaining complication with considerable potential, while Reggie and Arthur's friendship continues to provide the series with its emotional foundation. Season 2 may be at its strongest when it recognizes that Reggie's comeback is only one part of a much bigger family story. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NBC. Release Date January 18, 2026 Network NBC Directors Rhys Thomas Cast Susan Varon Upper West Side Woman Writers Robert Carlock, Sam Means Creator(s) Robert Carlock, Sam Means