Wake up and smell the coffee… This Fool is back!
The critically-acclaimed series returns on Friday, July 28th with a whole lot of Mugs, Not Thugs.
Following the prior season’s finale which saw the collapse of the non-profit Hugs Not Thugs, a rehabilitation program for former gang members, and Julio’s (Estrada) life in general, he, his now-rehabilitated cousin Luis (Frankie Quiñones), and Minister Payne (Michael Imperioli) are looking for a new way to earn money and get their lives back together. Wanting to recreate the success of their old non-profit, they now turn to coffee as their next big idea to help others while also helping themselves.
Season 2 will flip the script on Estrada’s acclaimed comedy series as it’s now Julio who needs more saving and rehabilitating than anyone. He’s still living out of his mom’s garage with Luis, but everyone else seems to have moved on from Hugs Not Thugs. Luis has a new job as a security guard and Minister Payne has found peace out in the desert, making OnlyFans content and enduring the occasional shootout. Neither of them has truly found their place, however, and Julio desperately needs them back to start a new NGO for ex-cons – Mugs Not Thugs. Their program, described as “Starbucks, but better,” will help rehabilitate lives while implementing a new philosophy – “F— you, pay us.” Bad luck and hilarious circumstances continue to follow the trio, however, and it’ll be a challenge to keep their new cafe running smoothly, especially with the awful slogan “Mug me.”
This Fool premiered last August to rave reviews from critics thanks to Estrada’s hilarious depiction of working-class life in South Central Los Angeles. The series is partly based on his own life growing up in L.A. and Latino culture as a whole, making the series stand out among a crowd of acclaimed comedies on Hulu. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Estrada explained the change in philosophy for Season 2 as he wanted it to be more episodic in contrast with Season 1 which took heavy inspiration from A Serious Man and other Coen Brothers films.
For this new Mugs Not Thugs-centric season, This Fool brought back its main cast members including Laura Patalano, Michelle Ortiz, Julia Vera, and Jamar Malachi Neighbors. Thanks to a surprising connection, however, Estrada revealed that Bill Pullman, known for his roles in classics like Independence Day and Spaceballs, will appear as a guest star in Season 2. “He’s a neighbor of one of our cast, and he was a fan of the show,” Estrada told EW. “So we just asked, and he said yes!”
