Ep 1. Episode 1

Season 2 of American Vandal starts off with Episode 1, which is titled "The Brownout." In this episode, we see that high school is just starting up again for a new year, and Peter Maldonado and Sam Ecklund, our beloved season one documentarians, are back at it again. However, this time they're presented with a new case in a private high school, St. Bernardine's.

The episode opens up with a comedic and genius monologue by Peter Maldonado, as he speaks about how the events of season one have affected his life. He jokingly talks about the groupies he's gained, the hate mail he's received, and how he's essentially a celebrity in his small town of Oceanside, California.

But soon after, we jump right into the case they're investigating in Episode 1. Just as in the first season, the show mockingly takes on the tone of a serious documentary. In this case, they're investigating a "brownout" that occurred in the staff's faculty's cars in the parking lot of St. Bernardine's. By a brownout, it means that an event where someone painted a brown phallus on every faculty member's car.

We're introduced to their first suspects, two students who seem to be at the center of the brownout: Parker and Jake. A few minutes in, we find out that the two boys are social outcasts who are despised by the jocks in their school. The documentarians give us a lot of comedic moments when they interview Parker and Jake, who are both hilarious in a quirky way that only high school students could be.

As Peter and Sam continue to talk to the two kids, they realize that perhaps they're not the culprits. After all, they had an alibi and an inventive, albeit far-fetched plan, to get out of St. Bernardine's during the time when the brownout occurred.

As the documentary progresses, we get introduced to more students whom the documentarians believe might have had a hand in the brownout. They interview a smart and competitive student named Kevin, who is one of the top students in St. Bernardine's. But as the episode progresses, we start learning that Kevin might have a darker side to him.

Things get more complicated when they discover a website called "The Turd Burglar," which has videos of turds being microwaved and people farting. However, this website posted a manifesto about "ruining St. Bernardine's." This leads Peter and Sam to think that the brownout might have been related to the website and that there might be a more significant force behind the vandalism.

In this season, the documentary also delves more into the student's lives, their insecurities, and their relationships. It gives us even more context to the case, and it's clear that this season will have a lot more nuance and layers to it.

Towards the end of the episode, we get our first major twist in the case, and it's exciting. We see the documentarians finally meet the person they believe might be the real Turd Burglar. They're wearing a mask, and the entire scene has an eerie feel to it. It's clear that this is not someone to mess with, and it sets the stage for the rest of the season.

Overall, Episode 1 of American Vandal season 2 is just as good as its predecessor. It has all the elements that made the first season so great: the humor, the mystery, and the unique premise while still setting itself apart. The show is back and better than ever, and we can't wait to see where the rest of the season takes us.