Four years ago, unassuming solar contractor Ronald Gladden took part in what he believed was a straightforward documentary on the inner workings of the justice system through the eyes of a juror.
The catch? Gladden’s jury summons was not official. Every other person in the courtroom besides him was an actor. Everything about his three-week stint as a juror — both in and out of the trial — was fabricated.
“Jury Duty” first premiered on Amazon Freevee in April 2023 to rave reviews across social media. The season’s eight episodes followed Gladden through his experience in a sequestered jury for a civil trial, as he navigated courthouse hijinks, clandestine hookups and the overinflated ego of fellow juror James Marsden.
Now, nearly three years after its first season, the show is back with “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat.” Instead of a trial, this iteration of “Jury Duty” follows a fictional family-owned hot sauce company called Rockin’ Grandma’s on its annual corporate getaway.
Here, the “straight man” is 25-year-old Anthony Norman, a temp worker hired to help out human resources head Kevin (Ryan Perez) with the retreat. Norman has agreed to be part of a documentary on Rockin’ Grandma’s. Unbeknownst to him, the company is completely made-up, the retreat is semi-scripted and the employees of Rockin’ Grandma’s are all paid actors.
Kevin tells Norman that this year’s retreat is extra special, as it’ll be founder-CEO Doug’s (Jerry Hauck) last getaway with the close-knit company before he passes the baton to his son Dougie (Alex Bonifer).
By the end of the first episode, it’s clear that Dougie is not fit to run this company. With fried bleach blonde hair, a vast supply of Hawaiian shirts and a phony Jamaican accent on constant standby, Dougie exudes recklessness and chaos — and as a viewer aware of the hoax behind Rockin’ Grandma’s, it’s obvious he was written to be dislikeable.
Yet, somehow, Norman forges a bond with Dougie almost immediately after meeting him. When Dougie voices his anxieties about becoming CEO, Norman gives him a vote of confidence. When Dougie proposes a new type of hot sauce for the Rockin’ Grandma’s brand, Norman is his number one hypeman.
In fact, Norman’s ineffable kindness and compassion are a core theme throughout all eight episodes of “Company Retreat,” and the show wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining without his can-do attitude and willingness to bond with every wacky member of the cast.
After Kevin fails a marriage proposal and abruptly flees the retreat in shame, for example, Norman takes the mantle of “Captain Fun” from him with enthusiasm. He commits himself to making this retreat as successful as can be for the Rockin’ Grandma’s employees, even as the show’s production launches mishap after mishap to deter him.
Just like its first season, the show never pokes fun at Norman himself, and it never crosses the line into mean-spiritedness. Instead, much of its humor lies in the eccentricities of the Rockin’ Grandma’s employees, both in their interactions with one another and with Norman.
In this way, “Company Retreat” borrows the best elements of both hidden-camera prank shows and scripted sitcoms. It’s spontaneous but never reckless, formulaic but never boring.
One can imagine how difficult it was for the showrunners of “Jury Duty” to come up with an equally compelling setting for its second installment — after all, much of the success of the first season came from the sheer novelty of its premise.
Even if the concept doesn’t feel quite as fresh anymore, “Company Retreat” manages to win over the audience with its heart. And when paired with talented supporting actors and a dedicated production crew, Norman’s everlasting kindness succeeds in making this season as zanily fun as its 2023 predecessor.
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