DUBAI: “Lucky” — the half-ironic nickname given to the series’ protagonist, Luciana Armstrong (Anya Taylor-Joy) — is entertaining and irritating in equal measure. Entertaining because it’s a slickly presented thriller full of propulsive action; irritating because of some staggeringly lazy “twists” and coincidences that defeat most attempts to take it seriously. Our advice? Don’t take it seriously.
Lucky is a con artist. She’s on the lam after her boyfriend has run out on her, taking the proceeds of their multimillion-dollar heist and leaving her with nothing. Her main source of assistance comes via phone calls from her jailbird father John (Timothy Olyphant), who raised Lucky and taught her the art of the con. Just to reiterate, he’s in jail. So, maybe he’s not that great at being a criminal? Lucky, though, is her daddy’s girl, so that thought doesn’t appear to have crossed her mind, no matter how many sub-par motivational quotes he fires at her.
The FBI — led by Agent Rand (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) — are after Lucky, as is ruthless crime boss Priscilla (Annette Benning), whom her father ripped off, and whose son Cary happens to be the boyfriend who ran out on Lucky. The money he took belongs to his mom’s even more ruthless crime boss. So she needs it back. But just as Lucky is blind to her father’s failings, Priscilla can’t believe her son would have plotted all this.
The three episodes so far essentially amount to a two-hour-plus chase scene (with some flashbacks of Lucky learning her trade and falling for Cary) with Lucky narrowly evading capture on multiple occasions, or, if not evading capture, then quickly escaping it with miraculous —laughably so — good fortune. The number of shots of FBI agents shouting “Lucky!” as she slips from their clutches gives the show a presumably unintended kids cartoon feel. All that’s missing is them shaking a clenched fist as they say it.
There’s enough here to keep watching, though. Ellis-Taylor’s jaded Agent Rand is a highlight, and Benning shows what a class act she is as the frighteningly together (until she isn’t, when she’s even more frightening) Priscilla. And some of Lucky’s on-the-spot quick thinking is ingenious. Taylor-Joy is a compelling screen presence and brings a convincing balance of vulnerability and ruthlessness to the character. Disengage your brain and enjoy the ride.
