SPOILERS ALERT!!!

Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

For the past twenty weeks (it might be more than that, but who’s counting?), I’ve been revisiting Season 1 of ‘Monsters at Work’ and checked out Season 2 on Disney+. I’ve greatly enjoyed seeing every episode, especially the ones in the latest season from 2024.

I know I missed out checking Season 2 in 2024, but I’ve been busy with other projects. Plus, I wanted to rewatch all the Season 1 episodes and refamiliarize myself with who the characters in ‘Monsters at Work’ are, as it’s been a while since I last saw Season 1 in 2021.

For those who don’t know, ‘Monsters at Work’ is a sequel series to the Disney/Pixar film ‘Monsters Inc.’ It follows Tylor Tuskman, a scarer-turned-jokester at Monsters Inc. who works with his fellow monster colleagues in MIFT (the Monsters Inc. Facilities Team). 🙂

Season 2 is where Tylor finds his position and friendships at Monsters Inc. put at risk when he receives a job offer to work at the rival business company called Fear Co. A debate ensues throughout the season about whether to still use ‘laugh power’ or to go back to ‘scare power’.

Speaking personally, especially in revisiting Season 1 and checking out Season 2 for the first time this year, I enjoyed Season 1 more than Season 2. Nothing wrong with Season 2. I did enjoy the stories and the characters being developed throughout the season itself.

But I don’t think we should have had Tylor going on this journey where he’s debating whether to go back to being a scarer or not. The end of Season 1 established him being a jokester and whilst I appreciate him struggling in Season 2, I thought he’d found his place.

Perhaps it would have been better to have saved Tylor debating whether he should a jokester or not for Season 3 (should that season ever happen). I did like the story going on for Val Little, as she discovered potential with being a jokester rather than being Tylor’s assistant.

The friendship between Tylor and Val does get tested in Season 2, which I found tense especially when Val criticised Tylor for not appreciating her as a friend. I like that they made up by the end of the season and they ended up being a comedic double act instead.

I also feel the sitcom aspect of Season 2 wasn’t as good as Season 1. This is because each of the seasons have a continuous story going through them, which is more prominent in Season 2 than Season 1. I didn’t feel the episodes were standalone enough for Season 2.

It was good to see Sulley and Mike again, voiced by John Goodman and Billy Crystal respectively. Tylor is voiced again by Ben Feldman whilst Val is voiced again by Mindy Kaling. 🙂 There’s Fritz, the head of MIFT, voiced by Henry Winkler, and Duncan, voiced by Lucas Neff.

There’s also Cutter, voiced by Alanna Ubach. Ms. Flint returns, voiced by Bonnie Hunt, and there’s Mr, Crummyham, voiced by Curtis Armstrong. Celia, Mike’s girlfriend, is now voiced by Roxana Ortega. It’s a shame Jennifer Tilly didn’t return to voice Celia for Season 1.

Roz returns, voiced by Bob Peterson, and there’s Needleman and Smitty, the comic relief workers that operate the Door Shredder, voiced by Stephen Stanton. There’s Millie, Tylor’s mother, voiced by Aisha Tyler, and Bernard, Tylor’s father, voiced by John Ratzenberger. 🙂

John Ratzenberger also voices the Abominable Snowman again in the series. We’re introduced to Tylor’s grandmother Virginia, voiced by Jenifer Lewis in the series. And there’s Jack and Jill, two TV journalists who share a centipede-like body in the season. 😀

They’re voiced by Joe Lo Truglio and Alio Wong. Both don’t get on well, as Jack favours ‘laugh power’ whilst Jill favours ‘scream power’. There’s a new monster named Roger Rogers, voiced by Rhys Darby, who joins the MIFT team and is connected to a past ‘Monsters Inc.’ character.

There are connections to the prequel film ‘Monsters University’, including the return of Johnny Worthington III, voiced by Nathan Fillion, who is now the CEO of Fear Co. Aubrey Plaza voices his wife, Clarie Wheeler-Worthington, who is also from ‘Monsters University’.

Chet Alexander, voiced by Bobby Moyniham, also returns from ‘Monsters University’. There’s Joy – the top scarer at Ferar Co – voiced by Janelle James, Declan – who resembles Duncan – voiced by Richard Ayoade, and Sunny – Cutter’s girlfriend – voiced by Paula Pell.

Other Season 2 guest stars include Jennifer Coolidge, Bowen Yang, Danny Pudi, Cody Rigsby, Jimmy Tatro, Danny Trejo and Alan Tudyk. Julia Butter voices Lorelei Worthington, Johnny and Claire’s daughter, and Kurtwood Smith (who’s been in ‘Star Trek’) voices Alistair Clawbottom. 🙂

A surprise twist happens in Season 2, as Randall Boggs, the villain from the film ‘Monsters Inc.’, returns in the last two episodes, and he’s voiced again by Steve Buscemi. I did think Randall’s voice has changed quite a bit, especially as Steve Busceumi sounds older in voice. 😐

It’s been great to check out ‘Monsters at Work’ recently on Disney+, both by revisiting Season 1 and checking out Season 2. I can’t say Season 2 is better than Season 1, but I’m pleased I’ve seen it, especially as I like the ‘Monsters Inc.’ universe and its characters.

I don’t know if this is there’s going to be a Season 3 of ‘Monsters at Work’ to look forward to. If there is, hopefully it’ll come to Disney+ sooner rather than later. It’ll be interesting to see where the series will go next, since Tylor and Val have now become a comedic double act.

I leave you now with a quick video reaction by me on one of the moments in the final episode of Season 2 called ‘Powerless’.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and watching!

Bye for now!

Tim 🙂