Dean and Bill Williams’ adventure in New York City is about to take a loud turn on “The Wonder Years.”
Wednesday’s Season 2 premiere of the ABC comedy series, titled “One Small Step,” picks up in the summer of 1969 as the father-son duo head to the Big Apple for a career-making songwriting gig for Bill (Dulé Hill). The trip introduces both members of the Williams family to “new walks of life” while in the city, according to the episode’s official logline — and that apparently includes getting in touch with their “primal” feelings.
In a video clip shared exclusively with TheWrap, viewers watch as Bill and Dean (Elisha “EJ” Williams) share a meal with newcomer Lonnie (“Schmigadoon!” star Tituss Burgess), who encourages Bill to try “primal screaming.”
“It’s supposed to tap into stuff your conscious mind pushed away. All you got to do is scream as loud as you can from deep inside,” Lonnie tells a skeptic Bill.
“You want my dad to scream? Just tell him you lost a nickel,” Dean quips. Bill hesitates at first, but then joins in on the yelp fest when Lonnie volunteers to scream out first. He progressively gets louder as he gets more comfortable. Even Dean joins on the fun after a minute, though his reasons are not existential.
The Season 2 premiere also takes viewers back to the Williams home in Montgomery, Alabama, where Lilian (Saycon Sengbloh) and Kim (Laura Kariuki) have their hands full with the arrival of Lilian’s kooky sister Jackie (played by comedian Phoebe Robinson).
“The Wonder Years” reboot debuted in September 2021 to critical acclaim. A reimagined version of the Emmy-winning 1980s original series of the same name, the show follows the story of the Black middle-class Williams family in Montgomery, Alabama, of the 1960s — through the point of view of 12-year-old Dean.
The Peabody Award-winning comedy features Don Cheadle as an adult Dean Williams as narrator. Along with the main family, the show also stars Julian Lerner as Brad Hitman, Amari O’Neil as Cory Long and Milan Ray as Keisa Clemmons. Other noteworthy guest stars in Season 2 include Patti LaBelle (who is set to recur as Bill’s mother Shirley), Bradley Whitford, Donald Faison and Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
“The Wonder Years” returns for Season 2 with a two-episode premiere on Wednesday, June 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. All episodes of Season 1 are available to stream on Hulu.
