In today's busy TV landscape, sometimes one just needs a calming show about food to decompress. Netflix's Nailed It! has filled that need in my life, because who doesn't love seeing amateur bakers try to pull off Food Network-esque masterpieces? I cruised through the culinary challenges of Season 1 in a breeze, and I'm desperate for more laughable but still pretty yummy-looking recreations of cakes. More episodes of the food competition show are on the way, so when does Nailed It! Season 2 premiere?
The series returns to Netflix with new episodes on Friday, June 29, making it perfect for a weekend binge session. In case you missed out on the first season's debut, it's not too late to catch up on the hilarity that ensued during it. Although I love the precise classiness that is The Great British Baking Show, Nailed It! is its distinctly American cousin, introducing uniquely insane features like the "Panic Button" and "Freezer Burn" that either help or prevent contestants reaching their goals.
While other cooking competition shows boast chefs like Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis as judges, Nailed It! has a killer combination of the funny and the professional with its hosts, comedian Nicole Byer and chocolatier Jacques Torres. The novice bakers and their cluelessness add another tone of relatability that other food competition shows often lack. I get it, guys. I don't really know what fondant is, either.
Season 1 also won over viewers because of how casual it was. You won't find many fast-paced competitions where a guest judge leaves to go pick up his kids, right? Byer and Torres are also low-key BFFs, creating a friendly on-set atmosphere that seems to carry over to the interactions between the contestants.
As for the actual food, the point of Nailed It! is that the edible recreations aren't perfect. When I'm watching a more serious baking contest, I don't understand how professionals find flaws in seemingly perfect-looking food, but Nailed It! is about the best of the worst. Some of the comparisons of an original cake and a baker's replica are hilariously bad, but the contestants are still driven to do their best because of the hefty cash prize the winner receives. This is a celebration of mediocrity that I can fully support.
Fans of the series are already anticipating the show's upcoming return. If you thought the buzz for any other Netflix originals was big, the excitement for Season 2 of Nailed It! is definitely noteworthy. From cheering for the new season premiere to watching the show for the first time, the eagerness is real.
Soon after the Season 1 launch this past March, series host Byer spoke to Bustle about why the show appeals to so many people, saying:
How will you know what success is if you haven’t failed a couple of times? Everybody fails and everybody has to learn it’s not the end of the world, you just get up on the horse and you try again.
Pastry chef Torres agrees, telling Refinery29:
Unfortunately, pretty much everything in life is like that. You fail, you fail, you fail, and then you succeed. In baking, there is no difference. Even as professionals, the first time that we make a recipe, we might not fail, but it’s not going to be our best result. The next time, it’s going to be better, and the following time it’s going to be even better. So, don’t expect to have a perfect result the first time.
If you're a college student still recovering from finals stress or just someone who needs a laugh, it's clear that Season 2 of Nailed It! aims to remind viewers that failure is an inevitable life experience. Sign me up for a Season 2 marathon highlighting those mistakes and how people bounce back from them.
Season 2 of Nailed It! premieres on Netflix on Friday, June 29.
