Kate Hudson, Brenda Song, Scott MacArthur, & Drew Tarver are Running Point Front Row @ Sirius XM Morning Mash Up Studios

If season 1 of Netflix’s Running Point was an open layup than season 2 is a slam dunk straight to the bucket. A comedy loosely based on Jeanie Buss, but strongly pulled from the real life sibling dynamics of this incredible cast. Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen didn’t create a show about basketball, they created a show about family dynamics. A family that love each other through gritted teeth, after screaming in their face will still do anything for each other to make their father proud, and keep the family legacy alive and well. 

Your favorite fake basketball family is back! Off season was quite busy for Kate Hudson - Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in Song Sung Blue and her music career not even taking a backseat as she continues to make music while simultaneously showing them who is boss on set. Kate is no stranger to her life being in the spotlight (like Jeanie Buss who her character Isla Gordon is based on), but this is her first series season 2 experience. As Drew Tarver puts it season 2 is their baby and they want the world to think their baby is cute. 

Audience numbers won’t be a problem with the reach this show has. Even 2024-25 MVP of OKC SGA is a fan of the show. From MVPs to Drew Tarver’s high school lunch lady in Georgia everyone knows this show is a hit. Not excluding the cast’s family of course. Kate is finally getting credit with her sons because all their friends watch the show. Brenda Song’s kids might be too young to understand what their parents do (if you ask them what their parents do Brenda says her kids say “Mama Talks” for a living) but her husband loves the cast and show so much he wrote himself in! You can spot Macauley Culkin sidelines this season, and depending how well his pitching is to the creators maybe a season ticket holder in season 3. Scott MacArthur’s kids who attended the premiere are more starstruck by the other cast members and players. Scotty recalls his son being most impressed by Jake the State Farm cameo this season. Kate’s family made it on set this season with a guest appearance by Kate’s brother Oliver Hudson. Ideas for season 3 cameos include a vote for John Stamos from Hudson and Song and a pitch from Scotty to get Dua Lipa on set, maybe a halftime performance? Stay tuned! 

According to Kate, Olly will do anything and his unhinged demeanor had everybody breaking character. Breaking scenes wasn’t the only thing Scotty was breaking this season. With VERY minimal basketball training and maybe 15 minutes of stretching we will get to see the Gordon family hit the court this season. Justin Theroux threw a chest pass at Scotty and no joke MacArthur dislocated his pinky. Ike said “stop messing around that is not funny” before he realized he really did break his pinky. Luckily the show did go on and Scotty redeemed himself by making a half court bucket which earned the 600 extras on game filming day free ice cream. 

Scotty plays the lovable loser on set that is always looking out for his people, as his character Nes and when the cameras aren’t rolling. The most under appreciated people without a doubt are the PAs and the crew. Scotty comments on his appreciation for the entire Running Point cast and crew, how they truly are one big family. Sometimes that family atmosphere is hard to find in Hollywood. For example along with breaking pinkies and breaking scenes Scott has inadvertently broke doors on set. When asked the funniest or craziest moment on set this season Kate described how Scott made up a character nobody has ever seen (an assistant named Monica) and after exiting a scene he yells out for his assistant “Monniccaaaa”. After a conference room scene and Scott screams ‘Monica’ he flings the glass doors off their hinges and they shatter into thousands of pieces. Kate loved witnessing the shame on Scotty’s face, a rare occurrence for MacArthur according to Hudson. Yes a crazy moment, but also a moment of reflection for Scotty that there is a whole department ready on the stand by to clean up broken glass that the stars can’t touch. To all the unsung heroes that made this show possible and kept everyone safe on set. Bravo. 

What else can we look forward to this season? So glad you asked and my thoughts exactly. I asked each of the cast what they were most excited for people to see this season. 

Kate was most excited for a fun little thing that she got to do this season. Brenda was about to make that her’s as well. And now that the show is out I believe it was Isla getting to dance at one of the games that the two ladies were excited for. From a plot standpoint Kate also is looking forward to Isla’s love dynamics this season. Scott joked her making out with Jay Ellis but since Isla is a married woman you will just have to binge the season to find out where this love interest arc leads Isla. 

Scott MacArthur’s favorite moment is a scene between the two brother’s Nes and Sandy (Drew Tarver’s character). Nes is the GM of the team and the siblings were gaining up on him to a point where it all comes to a head and he cannot execute his job. In the anticipated scene Nes is emotionally laying out all his cards on the table and in the same breathe shredding Sandy into pieces. Not in a mean way, but just speaking truth and Sandy’s face through the whole scene is priceless according to Scotty. 

Drew seconded his excitement for that scene with Nes and Sandy. Drew loves that at the core of this show - yes you have a family at each other’s throats, but at the end of the day you feel the real love throughout the jokes. A family who love each other and want to make their dad proud. Each character is put at odds with their achilles heel in accomplishing that and it really is heightened by the end of the season. Drew is really excited for the audience to see Sandy’s arc as the season progresses. His character is unraveling this season, he is the nerdy CFO who knows nothing about basketball, has this secret yet steamy private life, all the while trying to keep everything together. Tarver is excited to dive right back into Sandy’s world. The fun thing about season 2 is there is no setup or character development needed, Drew can start right back up at a 10 and hit the ground running. Drew might be the oldest child in his real life but he says he acts more like the middle child. He is dialed into the sibling dynamic Mindy, Ike, and Dave have created for this world. 

Drew might not be exactly like the youngest brother he portrays in Running Point, but Brenda Song who portrays the no-nonsense Chief of Staff Ali Lee is just as much a Boss Lady in the show as she is in her real life. Must be the Aries in her, in order to get things done you do it yourself. However, Brenda is most excited for people to see Ali be more vulnerable this season. Song says it was fun to show a more nervous, vulnerable, uneasy side to Ali as her character navigates her best friend now being her boss, navigating her self worth, asking for a raise. These dynamics were a fun new side of the confident Boss Lady that the audience can look forward to seeing. 

So before you go binge all of season 2 what will be the key messages each cast member hopes you take away from the show? 

Kate - (jokingly) Don’t work with your family

Brenda - (sincerely and ditto from Hudson) Always work with your best friend

Scotty - Take care of the ones you’re with (which resulted in a unanimous ‘Awe’ from the audience and Scott comically asking if he was talking about the same show) 

Drew - For the half court shot ending remarks Tarver reminding us that the show is about love. At the core, a family’s love for one another, it is really warming but also really funny. 

The creators, the cast, and the entire crew have showed us whose boss in season 2 of Running Point. As Drew said at the close of the interview the boss is love. Lead with love, take care of your team and crew like family, and let that be the lasting legacy you leave all on the court. I have no doubt season 3 will be a three pointer swish!