Critic Reviews

Even in its less-than-original moments, Harlem is consistently enjoyable. All the klieg light attention may be on Carrie and company for their upcoming HBO Max revival, but Harlem has more than enough shine of its own.

In season 2, Tracy Oliver's terrific comedy about four friends in the titular NYC neighborhood elevates its keen wit, engrossing relationship drama, and sly cultural commentary with even more confidence.

The season very early on makes a promise to allow the characters to make mistakes and grow from them, and it certainly keeps its word, honoring many of its choices with remarkable commitment. By the end of Harlem Season 2, the characters are in very different places than when the second season began – happier, better places... at least until a cliffhanger closing that immediately demands answers (and a third season).

The straightforward humor, enviable wardrobes, winks to previous sitcoms and questionable character antics are likely to keep many viewers hooked.

While some of the storylines over the course of the season are more compelling than others, there’s an unusual but welcome lack of any that fully do not work—and those that work best are truly something special.

Harlem may feel like a show that you’ve seen before, but the four stars are more than charming enough, and the writing is clever enough, to make the show stand on its own.

The new Amazon Prime Video series runs 10 episodes long, but flies by in no time at all. ... “Harlem,” for one, distinguishes itself by featuring an intriguing main lesbian character in Tye, who quickly becomes one of the show’s most compelling thanks to Johnson’s charismatic performance.

“Harlem” resonates with fun, heart, verve, and the feeling of togetherness, inherent in both the neighborhood and the Black women it supports.

Each character grows more interesting as the series proceeds thanks to strong character development and sharp writing, and the chemistry among the performers becomes the bond that carries the show as the women become entangled in one another’s relationship disasters and work dilemmas.

Season 2 of Harlem continues the winning formula from Season 1, thanks to its four great leads playing characters that are well thought-out.