On paper, Loot, the new AppleTV+ comedy series, sounds like a sure-fire home run. Created by Matt Hubbard (30 Rock and Parks and Recreation) and Alan Yang (Parks and Recreation and Master of None), and starring comedy geniuses Maya Rudolph, Joel Kim Booster, Nat Faxon, and Ron Funches – along with the always great Michaela Jae Rodriguez (getting to try her hand at comedy following her successful run on Pose – she’s just as strong in the medium as she is in drama), this fish-out-of-water tale should be crushing it from the word go. Unfortunately, after watching the ten-episode first season of the series, this isn’t the home run I was hoping for – just a solid double.
That isn’t to say it doesn’t have to ability to become one of the best comedies on television – once again, look at the list of those involved in front of and behind the camera. It just isn’t there yet. And that all stems from the series not having a clear path for the story it is trying to tell. The series is centered on Molly Novak (Rudolph), the wife of a billionaire tech exec who divorces him when she discovers his infidelity and takes him for half of his net worth, only to decide she wants to be a boots on the ground presence at the local charity she funds – which is headed by Rodriguez’s Sofia Salinas. So, we have some inter-personal comedy with Molly trying to figure out how to live alone – and just how to spend her money, combined with a workplace comedy wherein Molly doesn’t understand her role at the charity or how the other half lives. That’s already a lot to throw at a half hour sitcom, but there’s also the Molly question: is this a story of Molly figuring out how to be a better person or is it the story of Molly using her money to fix the world and fixing herself along the way.
The tricky thing about telling a story where a clueless person learns a lesson that allows them to become a better person is that at some point, that person needs to become that better person. Which means they won’t make as many silly mistakes, they won’t need the exasperated people around them to tell them what they should be doing, and they won’t be the screw-up the series needs to keep the comedy up. And what Loot is having issues within its initial set of episodes is determining just how clueless Molly should be – and just how kind she really is underneath her lost exterior. Is this a case of Michael Scott-level ridiculous actions being tempered by those around him who know he’s truly a good guy? Or is this a situation where she’s just a good person who wants to become better but doesn’t know how to go about it? Right now, it’s too much of both – depending on the episode – and that means some whiplash for the audience week-to-week when it comes to Molly’s character. By the end of the season, the series lays out a clearer path for season two in terms of narrative, but it still doesn’t really know what to do with Molly – or, by extension, Rudolph.
Rudolph is great at all aspects of what she is asked to play, although she really shines when she’s paired up with Faxon’s Arthur or Rodriguez’s Sofia. When it comes to Arthur and Molly, the pair have great chemistry (it’s clear the show is setting up a will they-won’t they situation, but I would prefer they stay platonic because their bludgeoning friendship is such a lovely element of the series) and Arthur tempers Molly in a way no other character can. Molly also spends a great deal of time bouncing off of Rodriguez’s Sofia, who is set-up as the women to teach Molly about how she can truly do good – and that she needs to get her head out of the clouds and see just how privileged she currently is. Again, a strong relationship, but one that would be strengthened if the series could figure out what they are trying to teach Molly – and if the show spent a bit more time developing the character of Sofia in the process. You have someone as talented as Rodriguez – you need to use her to her full potential.
The lack of a clear focus also means that the series is a bit hit or miss on the comedy. There are funny lines and bits in each episode, but in the entire season there was only one in the batch that was solid from start to finish. Comedies tend to take a bit longer than dramas to gel (their episodic nature means we need a bit longer to get a feel for characters and the show’s overall aesthetic), but I had hoped this one might be the rare Abbott Elementary and be a hit right out of the gate. That being said, it’s likely this one will be more in the realm of a Parks and Rec, which took a solid season and a half to find its bearings. The pieces are in place for a stronger second season, but the show needs a stronger grasp on character to get it to where it needs to be.
With the quality of the cast and crew, this is a series worth sticking with at least through its first season. You’ll find some great laughs, there are some genuinely heartwarming moments, and you get the added bonus of Adam Scott showing up as Molly’s cad ex-husband, proving that mean Adam Scott might be the most fun Adam Scott. It remains to be seen, however, if the series can take a solid start and turn it into something worthy of the talented cast and crew at its heart.
Loot premieres on AppleTV+ on June 24. It will be released weekly. All ten episodes of the first season were provided for review.
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