While it must be said that season two is decidedly more generic in its format and less poetically inclined than the show’s first season, “Donald the Normal” does at least reconnect with some of the central themes laid out in Daniel’s first seven days of freedom. In fact, the mere presence of Daniel as a driving force in the plot breaths life back into a show that was beginning to flounder as it compensated his absence with the barely interesting lives of various secondary characters. And while season two’s more world-weary Daniel has apparently lost his sense of awe before the wonders of man and nature, the writers have done us a favor in addressing the thematic shifts that are being laid out before us. For her part, Amantha finally relinquishes her own internal struggle with both Paulie and her mother, who in the third episode suggested Amantha leave town and – implicitly – Daniel, for her mental well-being. After moping through her day, half-heartedly packing up her life and binging on junk food, she experiences a reluctant epiphany when confronted with a “Help Wanted” sign at a local discount store. When her interviewer suggests that Amantha might grow bored with the job and leave, she responds with a Palin-esque flurry of verbal diarrhea before swallowing hard and confessing, “I need to be here now… in Paulie, for my brother.” Meanwhile, tensions in the Talbot household reach a breaking point when Tawny confronts Ted Jr. about his continued silence. Unable to contain his mounting frustration stemming from the assault in season one’s “Drip Drip,” Ted Jr. finally seeks out Sheriff Dagget for a sympathetic ear, reopening the ambiguity about Daniel’s innocence that so was so effectively woven throughout season one. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
