Running Point Serves Drama and Comedy On and Off the Court

By Elizabeth Paige Richardson | May 11, 2026 | Best TV Shows of the Week

Whether her shows become your new favorite binge-worthy series or you give her projects the side-eye, a Mindy Kaling production always gets the internet talking. People are still turning Kelly from The Office into reaction memes, rewinding her teen drama Never Have I Ever, and arguing over whether Velma got the chance it deserved. But when one of her projects hits the mark, we just can’t shut off the TV.

Her latest win has been the second season of the basketball comedy Running Point on Netflix. Though Kaling has branched out from acting in comedies to creating and writing dramas (and animation in some cases), Running Point feels like a reminder that a chaotic comedy is her sweet spot.

If you’ve been wanting to fill a void left by the end of the real-life stakes of the March Madness season, Running Point is the show that you’ve been waiting for.

The series’ strongest point is having a cast that can carry jokes in scenes together and be funny on their own. The cast’s chemistry really carries the whole team here; Isla Gordon (Kate Husdon) is out of her comfort zone again as president of the LA Waves basketball team, dealing with some super-sized problems tossed her way from her brother Cam (Justin Theroux). And the drama between Isla and underappreciated Ali Lee (Brenda Song) adds fuel to the fire that is the chaotic state of the franchise, both on the court and in the lockeroom.

There’s also a hint of will-they-won’t-they tension brewing between Isla and former team coach Jay (Jay Ellis) as he literally is on the other side of the court—very Romeo and Juliet-esque.

And obviously, we can’t ignore the basketball players, or else there’d be no show. Their energy this season is just as funny and ridiculous as season one, with a lot of fans pointing to Travis Bugg (Chet Hanks) as a surprising standout this season. It almost makes us wish we could be courtside cheering for the underdog LA Waves for real as they run through the playoffs.

And if fans get their wish, we’ll be cheering on this team again in a future third season.