Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for FUBAR Season 2.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attempts at comedy have been a mixed bag, but movies like Twins and True Lies display his strengths in the genre. Even less critically acclaimed films like Junior and Jingle All the Way have earned a cult audience, largely because they show off Schwarzenegger’s goofy earnestness. Because of performances like these, he has a segment of fans who see the vision and want him to do more comedy. That’s where the Netflix action-comedy FUBAR comes in. It’s the perfect showcase for Schwarzenegger’s brand of comedy acting, and it’s only gotten better in Season 2. The new season adds Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) as Greta, a former Soviet spy who has a romantic history with Schwarzenegger’s Luke Brunner. Three episodes in, one of their best sequences proves to be the perfect showcase for Schwarzenegger’s comedic talents.
Admittedly, Luke already had romantic scenes in FUBAR Season 1 with his ex-wife Tally, played by Fabiana Udenio, who played the iconic role of Alotta Fagina in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and is certainly no stranger to comedic banter. In FUBAR, Luke and Tally have a mature relationship that comes with the baggage of already being divorced with adult children. By comparison, Greta, the sexy spy resurfacing from Luke’s past, offers a much more playful romance for Luke in Season 2. Her dialogue is wonderfully crude, with lines like, “Cat got your tongue? I hope not, I may need it in the future.” Moss’s character allows Schwarzenegger to step into a flirty, comedic mode, which turns out to be where he really shines.
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Moss joins the second season of Schwarzenegger’s Netflix action-comedy this June.
In Episode 3 of FUBAR Season 2, Greta attempts a sexy, seductive move but slips, accidentally knocking right into Luke’s crotch. Schwarzenegger’s over-the-top face as he reacts to the pain is funny, but the best part is the scene afterward, when Luke and Greta get real about being spies who are aging. They banter back and forth about how high-stakes hijinks now leave them with backaches. Schwarzenegger brings a sweet sincerity to lines like, “Sometimes I kill a guy and I can’t even come up with a funny line anymore.” As the two take a minute to appreciate the absurdity of what they do, the fun of the scene comes from watching them converse like two regular people who just so happen to be spies. Schwarzenegger’s face absolutely lights up when Greta mentions her helicopter exit from a hotel room earlier in the series, and Luke’s unexpected switch to acting like a fanboy rather than an action hero is both funny and endearing.
In addition to the scene’s meta-commentary, with Schwarzenegger and Moss acknowledging how incredible it is for them to still be pulling off these feats at their age, the scene also sings because of their romantic chemistry. Schwarzenegger, in particular, has a tender softness throughout that perfectly accompanies their banter. The scene leaves the viewer wishing, at least for a moment, that these two could be in a true rom-com. Everyone knows how legendary Schwarzenegger is when it comes to stunts, but this scene shows how strong Schwarzenegger can be even in scenes with no action.
Many of the hardest punchlines in FUBAR are definitely delivered by the supporting actors who are better known for comedy, like comedian Fortune Feimster and The Office’s Andy Buckley — but, as the show’s leading man, Schwarzenegger has to set the tone. In one of his best moments of Season 2, he not only proves that he’s up to the challenge, but that he should appear in more comedies moving forward.
