“Young Rock” is Back for Another Round
Is America Ready for Another President Johnson?
Man-of-the-people Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (Jumanji, Moana) told Sunday Today in a 2021 interview that he's ready, willing, and able to take on the ultimate championship title of President Johnson if the American people want him to serve in the real-life role. "I do have that goal to unite our country. And I also feel that if this is what the people want, then I will do that." Unsurprisingly, 46% of Americans polled in a Piplsay survey would welcome a D. Johnson on their presidential ballot.
So, while we may not be "one nation under Rock, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" quite yet, we can get a glimpse of what that future might look like when NBC's charming flashback sitcom, Young Rock, returns for its Season 2 premiere on Tuesday, March 15 at 8/7C.
Premiering in February 2021, Young Rock became NBC's number 2 new comedy of the season, with more than 13.4 million viewers watching the pilot episode. It's no wonder that the Season 2 renewal was announced before Season 1 had even finished airing.
What Do You Need to Know About 'Young Rock' Season 1?
In broad strokes, Young Rock tells the episodic adventures of Dwayne Johnson (know as "Dewey" to his family) as he grows from a young boy in the early 1980s, to a mustached teenage high schooler, and takes his final form as a '90s man, all while under his family's watchful eye. His housekeeper mom, Ata (Stacey Leilua); professional wrestler dad, Rocky (Joseph Lee Anderson, Harriet); and wrestling promoter grandma, Lia (Ana Tuisila), are the central figures in his life. There are also tons of inspired casting choices for the WWE stars of the day, including Matthew Willig (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as André the Giant, Kevin Makely (Badland) as "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and Brett Azar (Claws) as The Iron Sheik.
The Iron Sheik (Brett Azar) in the ring with “Macho Man” Randy Savage (Kevin Makely.)
Johnson, as himself, narrates these adventures through a series of sit-down interviews taking place in the year 2032. You see, Dwayne is running for U.S. president, and when his constituents get to know the man behind the muscles, they'll see he hasn't always lived the charmed life of a movie star/mogul/multi-zillionaire. We, the people, will get to know him as more of a regular Joe. Each episode ends with a "More You Know" type lesson learned and the promise of another good narrative to come next week. Johnson is a natural storyteller and is so at ease in front of the camera that it's easy to forget that his portions of the program are scripted. (The man is damn likable.)
What's Coming Up in Season 2?
The Season 1 finale ended with Candidate (or is that President-elect?) Johnson having an unscripted moment with real-life mom, Ata Johnson, as they share a remembrance of Dwayne's recently passed father, Rocky "Soulman" Johnson. There is an implication that he's won the election, though you could interpret the scene in a few different ways on a second re-watch.
No matter the election results, there's a fresh season of Young Rock on the way, and here's some of what you can expect in Season 2.
Who's Coming Back for Season 2?
First and foremost, all of The Rocks will be back: the youngest Young Rock, Adrian Groulx (See, Mighty Express); Bradley Constant (Following Phil) as high school Rock; and Uli Latukefu (The End, Doctor Doctor) as college and Candian Football League playing Rock. Oh, and The Rock himself, Dwayne Johnson, will return as the *ahem* cornerstone of the show. Mom, Dad, and grandma will be back as well.
In a turn that is sure to make classic wrestling fans happy, Willig, as legendary French wrestler, André the Giant has been bumped to series regular this season. Born André René Roussimoff, André had a very close relationship with the Johnson family and was known as "Uncle André" to Dwayne. He ran a wrestling training center in Hawaii, where the Johnson family lived until Dwayne was 14. It will be fun to witness the softer side of André again as we did in the Season 1 episode, "My Day with André."
Pictured: (l-r) Ana Tuisila as Lia Maivia, Stacey Leilua as Ata Johnson, Matthew Willig as Andre The Giant, Adrian Groulx as Dwayne Johnson, Joseph Lee Anderson as Rocky Johnson, Uli Latukefu as Dwayne Johnson, Bradley Constant as Dwayne Johnson (Photo by: Mark Taylor/NBC)
We'll also be re-introduced to John Tui (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) as Afa, and Fasitua Amosa (Raised by Refugees) as Sika, also known as wrestling tag team The Wild Samoans, back in action. Randall Park (WandaVision, Fresh off the Boat) once again makes a return to the series (as himself) as an actor-turned-journalist.
What's New This Season?
Season 2 will delve right back into Dwayne's made-for-tv life story, continuing the storylines from Season 1. This season will see Dwayne begin his transformation into wrestling legend 'The Rock' when he considers taking up the family business by embracing the grind of a professional wrestling career for himself. Be on the lookout for potential matchups with Triple H, The Undertaker, and The Brooklyn Brawler, among others.
As for political cameos, unabashed Rock fan Elizabeth Warren is rumored to maybe, possibly, perhaps make a future appearance. Johnson told Variety, "Elizabeth does not make a cameo in this [Season 1], but if we’re lucky enough to come back for a second round, maybe she will there."
Where Can You Watch Season 2 of 'Young Rock'?
Luckily, NBC makes it easy for just about everyone to watch the hit sitcom. Season 2 will premiere on live TV Tuesday, March 15 at 8/7C and stream on Peacock and Hulu the next day. You can also stream episodes on NBC's website.
Watch the Season 2 Trailer and More
Take a sneak peek at what's coming up in Season 2 by watching NBC's just-released official trailer. We're not jumping to any conclusions that Randall might be interviewing The Rock in and around Camp David but…all that fresh air looks pretty nice to us. And a Rock cookbook? That smells about right.
And if you want to take a real trip back in time, Peacock has every past WrestleMania event available to stream. From Mr. T battling Hulk Hogan to The Rock versus John Cena, now you can finally see all those WWE matchups your parents wouldn't order for you on pay-per-view. But as Young Rock warns us, never use the 'F' word. (Fake, the word we're talking about is "fake.")