Grab a parka: North of North is heading back to Netflix on Thursday, November 5, with eight new half-hour episodes. The comedy, set in the fictional Arctic town of Ice Cove, Nunavut, was one of the cosiest surprises of last year, and season two looks just as warm, even as winter closes in.
Anna Lambe returns as Siaja, the young Inuk mother who blew up her life at the end of season one and now has to build a better one. That turns out to be harder than the explosion. This time she is guided by pilimmaksarniq, an Inuktitut idea about mastering skills through watching, practising and effort. In plain words: no more impulsive leaps, just hustle.
What is new in Ice Cove
At the community centre, Siaja keeps pushing her boss Helen, played by Mary Lynn Rajskub, to trust her with bigger projects. At home, she is chasing clues about a half-sister she never knew she had, a search that eventually sends her south to the city with a clear plan she absolutely does not follow. And after her divorce she is open to love, or at least a good date.
The episode list promises plenty of small-town chaos. A traditional mask dance meant to attract tourists spirals out of control. A water crisis forces Siaja to team up with her newfound father, Alistair, played by Jay Ryan. A first-aid training session on the ice goes wrong, a community speed-dating night gets awkward, and a birthday beer delivery ends with a run-in with the law. The finale centres on a Winter Ball that Siaja has fought for, just as a massive storm rolls in.
Why people love it
Created by Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, the show feels specific in a way most sitcoms do not. The jokes come from real community life in the North, and the heart comes from three generations of women: Siaja, her mother Neevee (Maika Harper) and her little daughter Bun (Keira Belle Cooper). It is funny without being mean, and hopeful without being sugary.
If you need something light for the darker November evenings, this is an easy pick. All eight episodes of North of North season two arrive on Netflix on November 5.