Funnier & Meaner, Hulu's 'Difficult People' Avoids Sophomore Slump

Have you ever made a really cruel joke at someone's expense to a friend and they gave you a dirty look?

Have you ever made a pop culture reference (maybe you recalled that really funny scene from John Waters' "Serial Mom" one July afternoon) that went right over a friend's head?

If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, you may want to cut those people out of your life and replace them with the fictional BFFs, Billy Epstein and Julie Kessler, played by real life friends/comedians Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner. They're the stars of Hulu's comedy series "Difficult People," which had its second season two-episode premiere Tuesday.

Created and exclusively written by Klausner, "Difficult People" isn't for everyone: It's a very specific show for a very specific audience with very specific tastes and sensibilities. Tune into the first few minutes of any "Difficult People" episode and if you find yourself offended by the duo's harsh jabs or lost in the rapid-fire pop culture references, go back to "Will & Grace."

In Season One, Billy and Julie outdo the four nasty sociopaths of "Seinfeld" (a series that has obviously influenced "Difficult People") with their sharp acid tongues and misanthropic New York City-centric views. Struggling comedians and writers, who are constantly on the lookout for their big break into stardom, the pair avoid a "Difficult People" sophomore slump by doubling down on their mean-spirited-pop-culture-infused comedy and ramping up the show's incredible list of cameos.

Klausner and Eichner are cranks and don't apologize for it. No one is off limits from their shady, shady humor: In "Unplugged," Julie's mother Marilyn (played by the show's MVP, the incredible Andrea Martin), wants to make a video will and buys a new camera called the Fonda 5000, reading aloud from its manual that it is "the exclusive camera used by the Netflix series, 'Grace and Frankie.'" In episode 2, Julie and Billy even make abortion jokes while looking through a clinic's swag bag.

For the most part, however, the minds behind "Difficult People" save their ire for the famous and critically acclaimed. In "Unplugged," they aim at "Transparent" and its showrunner Jill Soloway via Sandra Bernhard, who plays a showrunner of a similar show and leads a group for TV writers at a local Jewish Community Center. Julie tries to join the gang but ends up accidentally giving a 'Sieg Heil' in front of a Nazi flag, which Bernhard's character sees, and snaps a photo. Things don't go better for Billy, who hooks up with a guy at his new gym and, against his better judgment, decides to date him instead of hit-it-and-quit-it. It turns out, this guy, named Cecil (comedian John Mulaney), is an "Old-Timey," or the show's take on the Williamsburg numbskulls who are into steam punk. Cecil talks like he's an extra from "The Knick," rides a penny- farthing bike and is filthy rich - enough for Billy to continue to date him... for a little longer than usual, at least.

"Difficult People" hits its stride with the second episode, "Kessler Epstein Foundation," landing on the perfect ratio of cagey rudeness and zeitgeist jabs. The show's fast-pace humor is its heartbeat, allowing scenes to move right along in these contained 22-minute episodes. The plots never stay stagnant and Klausner and Co. don't worry about character development.

Like "Seinfeld," no one on "Difficult People" changes or learns from their mistakes. Instead, Julie and Billy blame the world for their misgivings, like when they accidentally kill Nathan Lane; or when, in episode 3, Billy is dumped by the sexy Mark Consuelos, who is under the impression Billy just came out and is eager to teach him gay life.

"Difficult People" also benefits from a great supporting cast. Besides Martin, the show has Gabourey Sidibe, who is fantastic as Denise, who co-owns the cafe where Billy works, and hates Billy. Matthew (Cole Escola), Billy's coworker (sort of - he's never seen actually working), is a fellow gay who has an ongoing rivalry with Billy. He's sassy, a diva and Denise's pet, who is also a constant reminder that Billy is the old, tired forgotten gay man who will die alone.

Season Two features a newcomer, Lola (Shakina Nayfack), a self-described trans-truther, who now works alongside Bill and will take any opportunity she gets to call him out on his CIS privilege or rant about conspiracy theories: "Bush did 9/11!"

By now, Klausner has "Difficult People" down to a science; it's so brisk and nimble it's a shame Hulu doesn't go for the binge model. "Difficult People" is so lean and sharp, the season could easily be consumed in less than 48 hours.

Nevertheless, "Difficult People" remains just as strong in its second run. It may not be a show for everyone, but it knows exactly what kind of show it is. Klausner and Eichner don't give a shit if you change the channel.

New episodes of "Difficult People" Season 2 are available Tuesday on Hulu.