TV Season Review: "Sonny With a Chance": Season Two

Rated: TV-G
Starring: Demi Lovato, Sterling Knight, and Tiffany Thornton
Released: March 2010 - January 2011 (Disney Channel premieres)

Synopsis: The comedic misadventures of the cast of So Random! continue in this second season! Despite the rivalry with the cast of MacKenzie Falls, Sonny and Chad fall in love...but, can they stick together, or will it end in ruin? Meanwhile, Grady's annoying brother visits, the show is taken over by the director of Tween Gladiators, Sonny and friends find themselves in a tradition high school, and Zora has a crush on a fellow actor! Featuring guest stars such as Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Daddy Day Care), G. Hannelius and Regan Burns (Dog With a Blog), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, and musical sensations Joe Jonas and All-Star Weekend, hilarity is sure to ensue!

The Good: I've said on here before that nobody makes sitcoms quite like the Disney Channel, and that is true here.  You'll definitely need to watch the first season to understand this one, but they're both definitely great fun, not to mention pretty much squeaky clean.  The musical performances are outstanding, especially the Demi Lovato/Joe Jonas duet of "My Song for You," which seriously warmed my heart.  The Halloween and Christmas specials are probably the most entertaining; then again, I've always had a penchant for holiday humor.

The Bad: As good as this is, I do have a very big complaint.  Since the show was canceled prematurely due to Demi Lovato's health issues, a very big plot thread is left hanging after the rather dramatic final episode.  I knew it wouldn't reach a complete conclusion, but I was still a bit disappointed.  Still, that only detracts somewhat from the show as a whole.

Content Concerns:

• Sex: Kissing; flirting; a "PG"-level quip here and there. 4/5
• Nudity: Off-the-shoulder tops and slight cleavage are seen here and there. 4/5
• Language: Name-calling; that's it. 4/5
• Violence: Entirely slapstick, and completely bloodless. 4/5
• Drugs: None. 5/5
• Frightening/Intense Scenes: Emotional intensity here and there. 4/5
• Other: A bit of bathroom humor. 4/5

Conclusion: I've been a Demi Lovato fan for quite a while; she caught my eye when I first saw the commercials for Camp Rock.  Last year, I watched the entire first season of Sonny With a Chance, and really enjoyed it, as I did this one...to a degree.  Some folks would call this a Lovatic's (that is, a fan of Demi Lovato) dream; it's probably as close as we're going to get to that.  As long as you go into it not expecting a complete resolution, you'll probably enjoy it.

Score: 3.5/5