Harkening back to those Jane Fonda Fitness tapes, and aerobics/jazzercize classes of the 1980’s and 90’s drew us in. And because of COVID, we started exercising on Zoom at home to keep busy, active and not gain the expected and dreaded COVID 15 pounds.
Season 1 caught our attention with Rose Byrne’s fun portrayal of Sheila Rubin, the 1980’s housewife who was slowly becoming an exercise guru in her own right. It is chock full of nostalgia showing classes filled with women clad in tight leotards following Sheila’s every move. Byrne looked sleeker and sexier with each episode. Season 2 follows a woman starting to find more. That ‘s back when a lot of women, Sheila included was looking for empowerment to make her own decisions in her marriage and in the business world.
Creator/Writer Annie Weisman lets the audience in on Sheila’s mind chatter as she strategizes and negotiates where she wants to be for herself. She has issues including anxiety which leads to bingeing and purging and more questionable behavior her husband is clueless about, just to keep going.
An unhappy housewife with self-identity issues, Sheila wanted more So did her husband, Danny Rubin (Rory Scovel). He’s old school, who thinks he’s progressive. But he still expects her to have dinner on the table, and take of everything else, while he runs for political office to boost his ego. He lost his job as a professor, and was trying to make a name for himself in politics. Watch our interview with Rory Scovel about the change in his character from Season 1 to Season 2.
Coming up in Season 2, Sheila has a lustful attraction, and that paired with guilt and derision aimed at husband (Scovel), plus the toxic relationship with her wicked witch of a mother (Wendie Malick) make her life very complicated. Add being stalked by Bunny (Della Saba) and hippy surfer dude, Tyler(Lou Tyler Pucci) who believe Sheila stole Bunny’s routines. They’re out for revenge.
Rory Scovel is back as husband Danny. In Season 1, he mostly was a selfish, mysogynistic cad, interested only in creating his own place in the world with an ego as big as a house. Faced with Sheila’s wrath, he now backs off by seeming to step up to take care of the house and their daughter, Maya (Grace Kelly Quigley). He allows Sheila to pursue her dream with what he terms, her little fitness film. She corrects him, “It’s a video!” Is he for real?
We pick up where Sheila has begun her path toward aerobics stardom. She is working hard to market her new work-out video while still battling those who helped her get her start, and her inner demons. Shopping Mall owner, Paul Sparks, is Danny’s nemesis for several reasons, as seen in Season 1’s shopping mall, virtual, lust-laden, cliff hanger.
Creator/Writer Annie Weisman and director Stephanie Laing, give us a direct line to the conversation inside the head of Sheila’s complicated quandary. This is a show that alternates between outrageous situations and queasy uneasiness, showing off Rose Byrne’s kinetic, manic, deranged and often funny characterization and talent. Like Shiela, Physical 1 and 2 is a series worth bingeing on.
Apple TV+ 10 Episodes Rated TV MA
Premieres on Apple TV+ June 3rd.
