Based on a True Story is a fun dark comedy thriller that pokes fun at our obsession with true crime podcasts. Ava (Kaley Cuoco) and Nathan (Chris Messina) are a couple struggling to reach a level they want in life. Ava is a real estate agent but she never gets the high-profile listings she wants. Nathan is a former tennis pro whose days of stardom are over. He now works as a coach at a swanky country club, but he’s feeling the pressure from a much younger, more popular coach stealing his thunder. To top it all off, they have a baby on the way.
Ava finds a welcome escape in true crime podcasts, but it hits close to home when there’s a serial killer in their California town. Things get hairy when they discover that they know the identity of the killer, and it’s someone they just met. Rather than turn him in, they concoct a ridiculous plan: proposition him to talk anonymously for a podcast and they won’t disclose his identity. But there’s one more condition: he has to stop killing. Of course, negotiating with a serial killer is not a wise idea, as Ava and Nathan quickly realize.
What Happens In Based on a True Story Season One?
In the first season, Ava and Nathan get their podcast off the ground with Matt (Tom Bateman) at the center. But he takes over every aspect, viewing it as his podcast. Now they’re in deep, because all he has to do is disclose their identities. If he goes down, they’re going down with him. Why they didn’t consider this likelihood is a question that fans are asked to simply wave away as desperation.
Things don’t go well initially because the podcast is lost in a sea of others. That is, until Matt pulls a stunt at a local CrimeCon convention that makes the podcast blow up. It’s now number one and people are glued to their devices, hanging on every word and anxiously awaiting every new episode.
As is customary in today’s landscape, however, a celebrity expresses their disgust for these anonymous individuals capitalizing on the murders of innocent young women and the podcast become a swift victim of cancel culture. The couple is back to square one. But Matt isn’t willing to give up, believing they need “fresh content” to keep going. Meaning he should kill again.
Creating an even bigger challenge is that a friend’s husband Ruby (Priscilla Quintana) has discovered that Ava and Nathan are behind the podcast and that Matt is the killer. True to her greedy, opportunistic nature, however, she doesn’t want to pull the plug on them. She wants in. When she winds up dead, however, it’s clear the situation is becoming more dangerous than the couple ever thought it might.
Based on a True Story Season Two Review
The second season of Based on a True Story goes in completely different directions from season one, touching on the ridiculous idea of rehabilitating a killer. As though a psychopathic, narcissistic, remorseless killer can somehow change his ways, suppress his murderous urges, and live a normal life.
The season dives deeper into Ava and Nathan’s own dark sides as well. In particular, Nathan appears to be so distraught at the trajectory of his life and his missed opportunities that he easily falls victim to Matt’s manipulation. He’s hanging on to any semblance of taking control of his life, even if this means taking advice from a man who preys on women, slits their throats, and leaves them for dead. Ava, meanwhile, is so exhausted and lost while dealing with motherhood that she makes rash and seemingly terrible decision after decision.
The story goes into even more unbelievable territories when Ava’s younger sister Tory (Liana Liberato) falls for Matt. Yes, even after learning what he “used to” do. He’s changed, she tries to convince her sister and brother-in-law. He’s not the same man. Could this seemingly intelligent young woman, in the middle of putting herself through law school, really be this impressionable and naïve?
There’s a heavy focus on Matt this season as he desperately tries to change his ways, though it’s evident there’s no way this Matt 2.0 version will last. Matt is a cold-blooded killer, and it’s only a matter of time before he snaps and goes back to his old ways. Any sane person can see this, yet it seems that no one in his orbit who knows who he truly is believes this will happen. Or at least they aren’t as terrified as they should be that it will.
New characters introduced pose interesting dynamics and backstories that make the series even stranger and arguably sillier. The show is thoroughly entertaining, shedding light on and arguably embellishing fractured souls of all kinds, not just killers. If viewed as a parody of the desperate measures people will go to find their way, you can see the show through a different, more humorous lens, even when looking at its darker moments. And this season has plenty of those.
Keeping with the crime theme, there’s also a copycat killer at play and Ava’s obsession with killers goes to new heights. She spends hours creating her own secret crime boards to try and deduce who the killer could be. She can figure this out. Maybe make another podcast about it? She doesn’t go that route, but she does start sharing her findings as an anonymous Tik Toker, once again parodying societal reliance on social media and followers. Is Ava sharing her findings to try and help bring down a killer? No. She just wants the clout and the monetary gains that might come with it.
That’s at the crux of this couple, after all, and it shines through brighter in season two. While they come across as an average married couple, the circles they run in suggest that Ava and Nathan view themselves as much more high society than suburban. They are so desperate to find a way to relate to their snobbish friends even though they don’t really fit it. The podcast, the Tik Toks, the odd strategies to make money aren’t about helping pad their wallet so they can get by and support their child.
It’s about affording the luxuries they want, like that house in Malibu they had to sell. Because of this, despite their relatable personalities, Ava and Nathan become even more unlikable in season two as a couple playing roles that don’t fit them anymore, and perhaps never have.
The season is a quick and simple binge of just eight episodes, so you’ll easily get through it over a single weekend. Every episode is set up with cliffhangers so you’ll find it difficult not to keep going to see what happens next. But you’ll also be scratching your head at the idea that these people can be as ridiculous and gullible as they are.
Should You Watch Based on a True Story Season Two?
There’s nothing deep nor thought-provoking in Based on a True Story. It’s total bubblegum entertainment. If you go into the season recognizing that this is escapist entertainment, you’ll appreciate the nice mix of comedy and dark stories.
Matt’s linen shirt wearing, man bunned new persona is hilariously odd, and it takes away from the charms he had in season one. The addition of a baby in the equation is worked into the story but only seems to complicate things in a way that makes it even less believable. A new mother with a baby in her home would never befriend a killer, much less welcome him over for dinner. Nor would she act so casually to the idea of her younger sister dating him.
Nathan’s irresponsibility with finances and preoccupation with his past career make him less likable than ever. As he falls more and more under Matt’s spell, you just want to slap him and tell him to wake up and take care of his family. Ava, meanwhile, seems to be lost in her own preoccupations with murder, neglecting to do what is right for her family.
Frustrating yet fun, the ending will leave you wanting more. But the jury is out on if Peacock will provide it. This season is weaker than the first, deviating from the core story in a big way. It’s a fun follow up, but you won’t be missing out should Peacock decide not to renew the show. If Based on a True Story does get renewed for a third season, it’s worth watching season two. But I wouldn’t rush to check it out unless you’re really looking for something to pop on and completely turn your brain off. Based on this story, the characters have already done just that.
Stream Based on a True Story on Amazon Prime Video with a STACKTV add-on channel.