Higher stakes

After the first season’s finale ended with a long-lost father falling to his death, audiences have been waiting for the absurdist comedy “Black Monday” to return and clarify all of our unanswered questions. Though we were able to get some satisfaction earlier this year, Season 2 came to a screeching halt thanks to COVID-19 slowing down production.

Fortunately for viewers, the remainder of the 10-episode season premieres Sunday, June 28, on Showtime.

On Oct. 19, 1987,Wall Street saw its worst stock market crash in history. No one is sure exactly why it happened, but creators of the “Black Monday” series, Jordan Cahan

(“Marry Me”) and David Caspe (“That’s My Boy,” 2012), have proved that they can make a spectacle out of it.

With a colorful and complex cast of characters, the first season was a look at the year leading up to the infamous crash. Audiences kept up with veteran stockbroker Maurice “Mo” Monroe (Don Cheadle,“avengers:endgame,” 2019) and his attempt to buy out his very rich fiancée’s jean company. We also witnessed Dawn Darcy (Regina Hall, “Shaft,” 2019) struggle to earn workplace respect despite being the most capable employee, and, of course, the survival of aspiring broker Blair Pfaff (Andrew Rannells, “A Simple Favor,” 2018), whose MBA thesis and intellect are being used for underhanded business deals, unbeknownst to him.

This season, a betrayed Mo has been knocked from his throne. After his apprentice, Blair, discovered that Mo had been using him since the day they met on the trading floor, Blair and Dawn plotted to have him fired.

But now, Mo is back.

He’s sporting a new hairstyle and avoiding prosecution for the crimes he committed back in Season 1. Meanwhile, Dawn and Blair have some demons of their own to battle. Dawn continues to fight for respect in her field, despite owning her own brokerage firm. She is also plagued by paranoia, fearful that Mo will come back to undermine her.

Blair is working with his new wife, Tiff (Casey Wilson, “Happy Endings”), to blackmail politicians into deregulating banks for their own benefit.