“Your Friends and Neighbors” is one of the main hits of spring on Apple TV+. Is the series with Jon Hamm really that good? Find out in our article.
Jon Hamm as a bankrupt hedge fund manager who robs his millionaire neighbors to save face with his ex-wife — sounds like the perfect premise for a series about modern America. Streaming service Apple TV+ clearly bet that the magic of “Mad Men” would work in the suburbs of Connecticut. Did it work? More yes than no.
Andrew Cooper, nicknamed Coop (Hamm), is Don Draper of our days, only without the ad agency and with much more obvious problems. After being fired from his job (thanks, corporate anti-harassment policy) and divorcing his wife Mel (Amanda Peet), he finds himself in a situation where maintaining his usual lifestyle is possible only one way — stealing from wealthy friends. Coop methodically cleans out neighbors' mansions while they're off on yachts or cheering for their kids at tennis tournaments. Everything goes according to plan until he breaks into the wrong house and finds a corpse.
The main asset of the series is Hamm himself, who plays with the same magnetism as in “Mad Men,” but now his character lacks an aura of invincibility. Coop is both charming and pathetic, and Hamm masterfully balances between these poles. His voice-over monologues about the “quiet desperation of well-off middle-aged men” sound slightly pretentious, but in the actor's performance they acquire the necessary bitterness and fitting timbre. Amanda Peet as the ex-wife is also good — she doesn't let Mel turn into a stereotypical bitch, adding humanity to the character. And Olivia Munn... Well, she's still very beautiful.
A noticeable problem with “Your Friends and Neighbors” is that creator Jonathan Tropper (author of “Banshee” and “Warrior”) can't 100% settle on a tone. Is it a satire on consumer society in the vein of “The White Lotus,” a crime drama about heists, or a family melodrama about a man hitting rock bottom and second chances (there's also a side plot about Coop's sister, who after a breakdown gradually returns to her true self)?
The series constantly jumps between genres, and this uncertainty prevents it from reaching its full potential. Especially affected are the secondary characters (from Coop's friend, played by Hoon Lee, who previously served a similar function in “Banshee,” to his children with stereotypical problems) — they exist more as minor plot elements than as living people.
The only exception is perhaps Lou, played by Randy Danson — a pawnshop owner from the Bronx who buys stolen goods from Coop and is the only one who sees through him.
Another drawback is the obsessive desire to showcase the luxury of the rich. Yes, we understand they have Birkin bags and Lichtenstein paintings, but the series indulges too much in “wealth porn.” As a result, it's not a biting satire in the vein of “Succession,” but rather a glossy picture with toothless criticism.
“Your Friends and Neighbors” is a solid series that relies on the almost animal charisma of Jon Hamm. If you've missed him since “Mad Men” and are willing to overlook plot rough edges, the nine episodes will fly by. Let's hope that in the second season the project will address its shortcomings and reach new heights; it has all the prerequisites, as well as faith from Apple TV+ along with .
On April 11, the series “Your Friends and Neighbors” premieres on Apple TV+, predicted to be one of the main hits of the year. We tell you everything you need to know about the new project from the star of “Mad Men”,
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