LONDON: Another month, another stellar new original series from Apple TV+, now pumping out hits with noteworthy regularity and deservedly seeing its viewer numbers steadily creeping in the right direction.
In his first TV leading role since his career-defining work in “Mad Men,” Jon Hamm plays Andrew Cooper, a recently divorced New York hedge fund manager whose life spins out of control when he loses his big-money job. Unable to admit to his family and friends that he’s now unemployed, ‘Coop’ suddenly finds himself in need of cash to maintain the flashy standard of living to which he and his dependents have become accustomed. After a number of epiphanies regarding the fickle nature of most of his so-called friends and colleagues, Coop begins stealing from his wealthy neighbors to fund that lifestyle.
But this wealthy, suburban spin on “Breaking Bad” comes with its own set of unique risks. The first of nine episodes (two are available at launch, with weekly installments to follow) shows us a glimpse into Coop’s future as he wakes up in a pool of blood next to a dead body. From there, we flash back four months to see how Coop winds up in this mess. It’s a real “I bet you’re wondering how I ended up here" moment — a cheap and somewhat overused trope, truth be told, but “Your Friends and Neighbors” quickly rewards us for being willing to overlook such a hackneyed plot mechanic.
As you’d expect, Hamm is the show’s MVP. He paints Coop as a complex and flawed individual. A bit of a jerk, sure, but far from the worst guy in the world when you compare him with an ensemble of truly obnoxious characters (played with verve and humor by a great cast which includes Amanda Peet as Coop’s ex-wife, Olivia Munn as a fellow rich divorcee and Hoon Lee as his brutally honest business manager). Indeed, with each crime, Coop’s point of view actually starts to make an alarming amount of sense.
Making audiences root for a kind-of-obnoxious money-grabbing robber is no small task, but Hamm is more than up to the job.
