5 things to know about the Jon Hamm Apple TV Plus series, 'Your Friends and Neighbors'
The creators of my favorite show ever have created another strong show.
What do expensive scotch, a lonely divorcee, and burglary have in common? The setup for Your Friends and Neighbors, the new Apple TV Plus series starring Jon Hamm from the creator of Banshee. That’s right, friends. Jonathan Tropper, the creator and head writer of everyone’s favorite “THAT SHOW” is behind the new show with sharp writing and an intoxicating follow-through with three episodes streaming.
Years after hilariously whining in an ad about Apple TV Plus having shows with so many leading men except for him, Hamm has a nice show of his own that rides high on his charisma and gives the proper stage to several other talented people. Here’s a few things to consider before signing up for that free month or just tossing a clean $10 at the streaming service.
#5 What’s it about?
Hamm is Coop, a highly successful hedge fund manager with a large capital account and enough financial prospects to cover up the fact that his marriage dissolved after he walked in on his wife having sex with his best friend. But then he’s fired from the nice job and stoops to the lower level of robbing from the rich, or his own friends and neighbors.
Pushing 50 and doing something illegal and drastic, he’s bound to run into trouble and face the consequences of being unable to leave the penthouse suite life that he’s grown accustomed to. There’s also two teenage kids from the aforementioned broken marriage who barely speak to him, random sex with women that carry blowback, and the everyday lingering thought of how it all went so wrong? Oh, and Coop also has a sister going through her own myriad of issues and parents who don’t give a shit. Are you in? Keep reading.
#4 It’ll make you envy, hate, and love rich people
From the Macallan that Hamm’s Coop repeatedly drinks to the versatile array of expensive watches and cars, including a toilet with Bluetooth and urine sample delivery to the doctor, this show won’t make the working class feel any less pity for the people who pour as much money into their shoes as they do into their mortgage. Listening to the poor contempt out of a character’s mouth as they decide whether or not to spend $9,000 on a professional tennis coach or a new drum set will make the water boiling your Aldi bought spaghetti even faster.
Then again, this is why we dip into this area of consumerism. It’s an area you can envy, love, and hate these people inside a single hour with the ability to appreciate the cheaper, more simple things in life. Do we need a better-looking glimpse of our own lives, or a glammed up and fancy display of money leading to dismay and unhappiness? You may want to smack some of these people, but you’ll appreciate their same-day, different bank account number struggles by the end of each hour.
#3 Trust in Hamm
There’s something about the guy playing a boozy dude full of regret, anger, and a knack for making soullessness endearing. He gives a sad dad sex appeal. Hamm knows how to make you care for a guy who has got the short end of the marital stick. There’s that unforced rugged charm, and his ability to make dialogue snap and crackle upon delivery. Coop doesn’t live in the Don Draper zip code, but he’s not far away from it with his talented exterior creating a wall around a vulnerable facade. Hamm doesn’t overplay or underplay the role, which draws you for Coop’s hijinks and shortcomings.
Who can hate (or stop watching) a guy who likes sipping expensive scotch while watching old movies all night?
#2 Tons of female firepower
From the lovely Amanda Peet giving Coop’s ex-wife some layers to Olivia Munn getting her best role since Newsroom, the supporting cast is packed with good actresses working with savvy dialogue that doesn’t portray them one blunt way. With apologies to Taylor Sheridan, he could learn a thing or two from how Tropper and his team of writers create multi-faceted women. They’re honest and powerful.
This is a show where the wives and daughters among the Friends and Neighbors cast have a chance to outrun the men when it comes to delivering on dialogue and making the most of a setup. Wait for the hilarious self-defense class scene in episode 3.
#1 A nice gathering of Banshee alumni
Hoon Lee, who stole several scenes from the Cinemax series as the computer wizard who aided the protagonist, gets another well-written part as Coop’s business manager with his own set of problems. After hearing him create a unique transexual with a signature voice and verbal roasting ability, he gives Barney Choi a backbone and depth that gives Banshee fans a taste of the old camaraderie that Job enjoyed with Lucas Hood for four seasons. Like the rest of the show, it’s unforced and intelligent.
Matthew Rauch, aka creepy Burton with the glasses from Banshee, has a small yet growing part as a husband in the main male group of the cast. Matt Servitto, the recent birthday boy who portrayed Brock Lotus on the decade-old series, has a small part as a pricey lawyer who may help Coop win a lawsuit against the powerful company that dropped him like a bad habit. Greg Yaitanes, who was the showrunner for three of the four seasons, is a producer and director here. I’ll await the arrival of Ivana Milicevic, Lili Simmons, Ulrich Thomsen, and some other faces from the best show ever created.
In general, give this one a couple hours of your time. It’s well-written, strongly acted, and won’t waste your time while giving you a glimpse of how the better half live and suffer. New episodes every Friday. Look for a review of another Apple TV Plus series, The Studio, later this weekend.
Now it’s time for a game that I’m sure Hamm is watching: The St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets facing off in Game 1. Who wins, who loses, and who drinks a bottle of Macallan into the wee hours of Sunday morning? We shall see. I now know too much about expensive watches.