Canadian-American actress Sandra Oh stars in Netflix’s comedy-drama series, The Chair, as the foul-mouthed new chair of the English Department at Pembroke University. The drama series, which depicts relevant topics such as college politics, inequality, woke-ism, and ageism, premiered on Netflix on August 20, 2021. Since then, fans have been wondering whether there will be a second season of The Chair. Here is everything we know about that.
The Chair is an American comedy-drama series created by Amanda Peet and Annie Julia Wyman for Netflix in 2021. Set in a fictional neighborhood known as Pembroke, the television series focuses on Professor Ji-Yoon Kim, a newly appointed head of the English Department at Pembroke University. Being Asian and the first woman to hold that position, Ji-Yoon already has her work cut out for her. The Chair follows Ji-Yoon as she tries to juggle her position, a relationship with an unapologetic man-baby who is also a professor in her faculty, entitled students with Nazi accusations, and a self-serving dean. Yi-Joon is also a single mother to a very strong-willed adopted daughter who is not about to make things any easier.
The Chair is executive-produced by co-creator Amanda Peet, in conjunction with David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Bernie Caulfield, Daniel Gray Longino, and lead actress Sandra Oh. A production of BLB, and ‘Nice work Ravelli’, The Chair was filmed in Pennsylvania, United States. Scenes at the fictional Pembroke University were shot in Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania, and the Shadyside Campus of Chatham University in Pittsburgh. The Shadyside neighborhood served as the fictional town of Pembroke.
The Chair premiered on August 20, 2021, with all six episodes dropping at the same time on Netflix. Each episode is about thirty minutes long. The Chair appears to have bitten off more than it can chew as it attempts to address many topics in such a short time, making the show feel a little flat in some parts, but it is a generally entertaining series nevertheless. With its witty writing, mostly reasonable characters, and unpretentious plot, The Chair was highly appreciated by most of its viewers. The show has a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb, 73/100 on Metacritic, and 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Chair Season 2 Release Date
As of October 24, 2022, The Chair has neither been canceled nor renewed for season 2. However, the ending of its first season was not so definite that we could not hope for a second season. There is still a lot of character development left to see, especially in Bill Dobson, the former lecturer who uses his wife’s death as an excuse to misbehave. The relationship between Bill and Ji-Yoon is still very young and precarious as well, and we are yet to get a feel of Joan as the new chair.
Hopefully, all these stones that have been left unturned will be enough to get a season 2. We will be sure to pass on any updates concerning the release date and plot of The Chair season 2.
The Chair Season 2 Cast
Most, if not all, of the main and recurring cast of The Chair, should certainly be present in the second season. If the show is renewed for season 2, here are the actors and actresses we can expect to see again:
- Sandra Oh as Ji-Yoon Kim, the first woman to chair the English Department at Pembroke University. In the beginning, she is tasked with the responsibility of removing three members of her department due to low enrolment. This, and her relationship with another professor, eventually lead to competing priorities between the dean, Ji-Yoon, and members of her department. In the finale, the majority of the faculty vote against Ji-Yoon being the chair, and she happily steps down for another senior professor in the department.
- Jay Duplass as Bill Dobson, a professor with who Ji-Yoon is involved in a relationship with. After his wife dies and his daughter leaves for college, Bill turns to alcohol and drugs to drown his pain. This recklessness causes him to use the Nazi salute during a lecture on fascism, an incident that some of his students film. The students begin to protest against Bill, who is asked to apologize. He refuses at first, but he ends up apologizing. The students are not satisfied and the protests continue. Ji-Yoon comes under fire for Bill’s actions and is accused of being partial by the other professors. In the finale, Bill is fired from the University, and he decides to babysit Ji-Yoon’s kid to pass the time as he tries to get his job back.
- Bob Balaban as Elliot Rentz, a senior faculty member who is a victim of ageism because of how modernized learning styles and demands are now. He is one of the people who voted against Ji-Yoon in the finale.
- Nana Mensah as Yaz McKay, a young faculty member who is forced to combine her class with Elliott’s. Elliot ends up treating her like an assistant instead of a co-professor. In episode 2, drunk Ji-Yoon announces that Yaz will receive a distinguished lectureship, an honor that the dean later gives to David Duchovny, against Ji-Yoon’s wish. Yaz later accepts a distinguished lectureship at Yale.
- Holland Taylor as Joan Gambling, a senior faculty member who replaces Ji-Yoon as chair in the season 1 finale.
- David Morse as Paul Larson, the dean who oversees the English Department.
- Everly Carganilla as Ju-Hee “Ju Ju” Kim, Ji-Yoon’s adopted daughter.
Where to Watch The Chair
All six episodes of The Chairs are available exclusively on Netflix. At present, you can’t watch drama series anywhere else.
Also Read: The Responder Season 2 Release Date, Cast, Plot, and More