NOTE: This article contains spoilers. Read at your own will.
“If the measles can make a comeback, so can Reggie Dinkins.”
And with that, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins returns for its second season, bringing its wonderfully dysfunctional family dynamics and sharp comedic timing back to NBC’s Monday-night lineup.
In Episode 201, “We Keep the Kisses,” Reggie (Tracy Morgan) and Monica (Erika Alexander) find themselves dealing with the complicated business of rebuilding his career in an entertainment landscape that treats Instagram reels, TikTok videos, and clever captions as marketing currency.
But as Reggie works toward his next big opportunity, the rest of the household has a few complications of their own.
And some of them are much harder to keep quiet.
Oh, The Lengths We Go
Reggie and Monica have experienced some professional victories, but those wins haven’t necessarily translated into the momentum they need to take his career to the next level.
Monica finds herself facing the realities of modern-day marketing, where social media and influencer culture have rewritten the rules of staying relevant.
As she continues to hit wall after wall, she decides to hire an assistant who has the educational and cultural aptitude to help Reggie succeed.
In comes Max (Jeremy Culhane), a man whose credentials exceed the job description, but he accepts the offer anyway.
But as the premiere progresses, it hilariously reveals that having the best qualifications doesn’t mean being the best for the job.
And the lengths people go to become successful in today’s economy can sometimes be nothing short of ridiculous.
As Reggie and Monica reflect on their circumstances, they learn that perfect strategies don’t always guarantee positive results.
And in their latest challenge, a little creativity with old footage proves they may have to do things their own way if they’re going to pull this off.
While Reggie and Monica work together to invest in a plan to move their careers forward, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall) finds himself in a situation that could send the entire household backward.
The Fall and Rise of Romeo and Juliet
Is it really a teen romance if it doesn’t involve dating someone your family forbids you to see?
For Carmelo, his betrayal comes in the form of a secret girlfriend—Delilah Basmati (Arica Himmel).
Carmelo and Delilah’s relationship brings a side-splitting, hilarious family dynamic that turns the Dinkins household into the sitcom version of the Montagues and the Capulets—only this time with 4K UHD footage, clear audio, and the noseiest family members barely holding on to the secret.
And Arthur (Daniel Radcliffe) is right in the middle of it.
What makes this storyline even more entertaining isn’t simply the prospect of forbidden teenage love.
It’s how the relationships surrounding Carmelo have evolved.
Arthur’s interactions with him feel brotherly, punctuated by the kind of teasing and eavesdropping that only family can do.
He’s no longer just a documentarian but someone who’s genuinely a part of Reggie’s family. This evolution of his relationship to the family expands the show’s humor, especially as his involvement moves him further away from his role as impartial observer.
And ever the observer is Brina (Precious Way), who proves that nothing escapes her attention for long.
Her presence in the home continues to be one of the series’ brightest and most entertaining elements—moving effortlessly between the roles of partner, confidante, protector, and formidable adversary (if you try her).
And with Carmelo’s family loyalty called into question, Brina’s actions prove her role can change in a heartbeat.
Lights, Camera, Wait...Can We Start Over
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Season 2 premiere has grown in its use of the mockumentary-style filming.
Rather than leaning on characters breaking the fourth wall to maintain the humor, “We Keep the Kisses” places viewers in Arthur’s shoes—eavesdropping on moments we were never meant to witness.
And it’s juicy!
This episode in particular has a private-detective quality to it in the way some scenes unfold, especially around Carmelo’s relationship, making you want to be in his business just as much as Arthur.
The result of the direction and shooting style makes “We Keep the Kisses” feel like a show within a show, where the camera becomes part of the comedy without taking away from the characters themselves.
That balance between observation and fourth-wall-breaking allows the episode to move seamlessly between private chaos and public absurdity.
And the cast thrives in it all.
Brina, Arthur, Rusty (Bobby Moynihan), and Carmelo live in this space throughout the entire episode, showcasing their chemistry and how much it’s developed.
Carmelo, especially, steals the show—delivering some of the episode’s funniest moments with his cheeky and precise comedic timing.
But beneath the jokes, a secret romance, and a nosey documentarian is a thread that connects them all.
Each of them is figuring out how to move forward—whether in career or relationships—when the people around them have their opinions on how it should happen.
And if “We Keep the Kisses” is proof of anything, it’s that reinvention is rarely ever completed in a straight line.
For Reggie, all it takes is for the camera to capture the right moment at the right time.
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Laugh Out Loud Funny
Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.
© Kivonshe | So There’s That
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