'Sort Of' Season 2: Award-winning Canadian TV show is back and it's all about love

Award-winning Canadian, Toronto-based TV show Sort Of is back with Season 2 (premiering Nov. 15 on CBC TV and CBC Gem, Dec. 1 on HBO Max in the U.S.), starting off with the introduction of a new character, played by Raymond Cham Jr.

While Season 1 was largely centred around its characters navigating transitions in their life, led by series co-creator and lead star Bilal Baig’s character Sabi Mehoob, Season 2 has a strong emphasis on love. Whether it’s love between family members, friends or romantic partners, the new season really leans into navigating the complexity of personal relationships.

When Season 2 begins, Bessy (Grace Lynn Kung) is still in the hospital, but she does wake up from her coma early in the season, and has to manage physical rehabilitation while adjusting to shifts in her family unit after the accident.

Sabi’s father, Imran (Dhirendra), is returning to Canada from Dubai, and they're initially dreading the reunion, with tensions amplified because Sabi’s mother Raffo (Ellora Patnaik) also decided to start a home renovation project. While Sabi finds comfort with Olympia (Cassandra James), Sabi’s not getting the attention they’re looking for, leaving Sabi feeling even more alone.

Then Sabi is hit with the devastating news that Deenzie (Becca Blackwell) is closing the beloved Bar Bük. That also marks the introduction of Deenzie’s offspring Wolf (Raymond Cham Jr.), who has been going to school in the U.S. Wolf quickly works with Sabi and 7ven (Amanda Cordner) to try to save the bar, in some capacity.

“He's the problem solver,” Cham Jr. told Yahoo Canada about playing Wolf. “Being the person in a room full of mayhem or chaos or turmoil, he's the one that can still steer clear.”

“He also kind of overlooks his own world of chaos and I think it's really interesting… He's coming to help [Deenzie] figure out what to do with Bar Bük, and he joins this world and hopefully he can solve some problems.”

In terms of what really appealed to the actor about the character, he jumped at the chance to do something new.

“The character description was really exciting and something that I hadn't done,” Cham Jr. said. “I'm also a dancer and any role that is far from that is really exciting for me, I just had this little chip on my shoulder that I want to establish myself as an actor separately and this was...an opportunity to do that.”

“The character was someone that was far from who I am, but also I had many things in common with, which is always a great marriage.”

'It's just so inspiring to see someone that is just that talented'

Bilal Baig, along with co-creator and director Fab Filippo, brought us a truly Canadian, complex, dynamic and funny show with so much heart, you can sense this show was really made with love and a commitment to excellent storytelling. But not only did Baig, in particular, have to continue to expand this world and these characters, they also star in the show, which impressed Raymond Cham Jr.

“It's just so inspiring to see someone that is just that talented, but also, to see how they just navigate through different hats,” Cham Jr. said. “It was just proof that you can do all those things without being some kind of, like, dictator or without having an energy around you that's like, my world is too big for you.”

“It was such an easy environment to fall into… They want their actors to feel a part of the process and take ownership in a way, as well. There's a lot of trust in the performers and the belief that these people are here for a certain reason.”

For Cham Jr., who had to quickly catch up on Season 1 of Sort Of after being cast as Wolf, the relatability and the emphasis on human connections was very prevalent for him.

“I got the show and then I quickly had to leave to Toronto to start pre-production, and I hadn't seen much of the show yet and...my mom and I binged the show, and we both were just talking about our different perspectives and experiences with the episodes," Cham Jr. said. "I think also, her being a parent and then hearing me talk about my experience with the show, it just led to this great conversation.”

“It is relatable to anyone and that's the beauty behind it."