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Return of the 'squad': Netflix competition returns for second season

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Michelle Rose / TV Media
Maya-Camille Broussard, Ashley Holt, Christina Tosi, Christophe Rull and Gonzalo Jimenez from “Bake Squad”

Maya-Camille Broussard, Ashley Holt, Christina Tosi, Christophe Rull and Gonzalo Jimenez from “Bake Squad”

If there’s a food show that proves you don’t always need a prize incentive to do your best, that show would be “Bake Squad.”

The Netflix series, which returns Friday, Jan. 20, for a second season on the streamer, is a food competition, to be sure. It’s hosted by Christina Tosi, chef and founder of the bakery chain Milk Bar, who hand-picked the members of said "Squad": cake decorator Ashley Holt, chocolatier Gonzo Jimenez and pastry chefs Christophe Rull and Maya-Camille Broussard.

All of them are back for Season 2, and in each of the eight 35-minute episodes, the four esteemed bakers compete to see whose sweet concoction will be selected as the show-stopping dessert that will make someone’s big day — think wedding, anniversary or kids’ birthday party — extra special.

Here’s the thing: unlike most culinary competition series, there’s no edge-of-your-seat elimination challenge, and no cash prize or highly-publicized job opportunity.

For the four bakers, it’s all about craftsmanship, taking pride in one’s work and seeing how they respond to each challenge. They’ll even help each other when needed, as they did in the series opener when "Bake Squad" first launched in the summer of 2021: Holt asked to borrow the other bakers’ timers in order to cool her nine different cake components, and they willingly obliged. That level of cooperation and respect is somewhat refreshing, given the usual "every person for themselves" tone to most competition series. Mind you, there is still a stressful element to this family-friendly competition, and as always, it’s the time limit imposed upon these creators.

“Bake Squad” hails from production company theoldschool and showrunner Yasmin Shackleton ("MasterChef USA"), who had this to say about Season 2 (per Deadline):

"Having a returning series on Netflix was always an ambition for us here at theoldschool, so we are delighted to be back again with the same brilliant squad that made the first season such a breakout hit. In our second season we are taking it up a notch with even more spectacular and innovative creations that will blow people’s minds.”

Season 2 of "Bake Squad" premieres Friday, Jan. 20, on Netflix.