Seth MacFarlane’s R-Rated Prequel Ends on a Fuzzy, Filthy High Note

Not that long ago, Seth MacFarlane was arguably one of the biggest names in the world of comedy. After creating smash hit sitcoms like Family Guy and American Dad, MacFarlane’s stardom was inescapable. His feature film debut, Ted, was a massive box office sensation in 2012. He polarized audiences with his stint as the host of the Oscars, he launched his own music career, and he’s continued branching out into the world of live-action film and television.

These days, Family Guy is nowhere near as popular or beloved as it once was. MacFarlane’s second film, A Million Ways to Die in the West, bombed both financially and critically, and Ted 2 couldn’t live up to the momentum of the first movie. Since 2018, MacFarlane has begun to find his footing again. After a rough start, his Star Trek send-up, The Orville, garnered a cult following of its own, and in 2024, the creator shocked everyone with the Ted television series. On paper, a prequel streaming series to the Ted movies felt about a decade too late. What more could you possibly do with a foul-mouthed, pot-smoking, politically incorrect talking teddy bear? Yet, somehow, the show worked. It was outrageously filthy, but not without its heart, further bolstered by an insanely charismatic cast. While it was initially conceived as an “event series,” Ted proved to be such a hit for Peacock that it was renewed for more — but how does Season 2 fare as a follow-up?

What Is ‘Ted’ Season 2 About?

Season 2 picks up around a year after the events of the first season, with John Bennett (Max Burkholder) now a senior in high school. His quest for manhood hasn’t entirely been successful, and now he spends a lot of time in his bedroom either smoking weed with Ted (MacFarlane) or pleasuring himself. His family is still pretty much the same: his beer-guzzling, proud Republican father, Matty (Scott Grimes), is as angry and loudmouthed as ever, his devout Catholic mother, Susan (Alanna Ubach), is loving but still largely oblivious to her son’s shenanigans, and his older liberal cousin Blair (Giorgia Whigham) is still staying with the family.

While the first season followed a semi-serialized storyline of John learning how to grow up, Season 2 takes a much more episodic approach. One installment sees John and Ted getting addicted to calling a phone sex hotline in the school basement, while another finds Ted having an affair with an attractive, lonely housewife (Michaela McManus). This shift in strategy actually works in Ted‘s favor, especially as the series continues to have one massive advantage over Family Guy. MacFarlane is legitimately interested in having his characters change and learn from their mistakes, and those lessons aren’t forgotten in the next episode. Ted Season 2 is as raunchy as the first, but the characters are what make it watchable.

‘Ted’ Season 2 Finally Gives the Rest of the Bennett Family Time to Shine

The structure of Ted Season 2 helps make the series even more comfortable in its own skin, spending far more time with the other members of the Bennett family to boot. Ubach is still the series’ biggest standout as the sweet and soft-spoken Susan, who gets a fascinating arc of her own this season, especially in an episode where we see her at odds with Blair over abortion. While much of MacFarlane’s work has its fair share of stereotypes, Ubach’s Susan is never once one-note. She’s the beating heart of the show, and part of what gives the R-rated teddy bear his warmth.

As for the rest of the Bennett family, Whigham’s Blair continues to be the voice of reason, but also gets some hilarious arcs of her own when the character’s willing to get silly. Grimes earns plenty of laughs as Matty, and while he bickers less with Blair, he also earns his own fun misadventures, including a plotline where Blair gets him addicted to “chick flicks” and another where he lands a part-time job at Dunkin’ Donuts. Despite being in his late twenties, Burkholder is still convincing as John, a character who might not be the brightest, but one you still can’t help but root for.

‘Ted’ Season 2 Is Even Funnier Than Its Predecessor

Much like the first season, there’s rarely a scene in Ted Season 2 that isn’t trying to get a laugh out of you. MacFarlane’s signature style of humor is intact, with all the dick jokes, cursing, and pop culture references you would expect. Similar to Season 1, some of the plotlines are incredibly repetitive, especially with John’s raging hormones and quests to buy weed, as well as Susan and Matty trying to reignite their passion for one another. Despite that, Ted Season 2 still finds new creative paths. Without question, its most effective episode is “Dungeons and Dealers,” which sees Dimension 20‘s Brennan Lee Mulligan seamlessly playing off the Bennett family’s shenanigans. MacFarlane’s humor is perfect for the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and the entire ensemble thrives in playing their mismatched character classes.

MacFarlane recently teased that there are no plans for a third season, which isn’t hard to believe considering how conclusive the Season 2 finale feels. It’s a bit disappointing, but understandable that the franchise will now shift into animation for its next chapter, especially as this prequel series has felt like a breath of fresh air in MacFarlane’s portfolio. Ted Season 2 ends this chapter of the franchise on a high note, with its big laughs, hidden sweetness, and all the crude, filthy, and ruthless jokes that you could want.

Ted Season 2 is now streaming on Peacock.