Ever since Vince Gilligan set the world alight with the creation ofhisBreaking Baduniverse, many creators have attempted to follow suit with their own take on middle-aged family parents finding themselves sucked into the crime world, with some of the better ones being Jason Bateman’sOzarkand NBC’sGood Girls. Now, Jon Hamm is looking to put his own stamp on this specific crime drama subgenre withYour Friends & Neighbors, which doesn’t always overcome a sense of familiarity, but is still a largely entertaining time.
Created byBansheeandWarrioralum Jonathan Tropper,Hamm leads theYour Friends & Neighborscastas Andrew “Coop” Cooper, a New York hedge fund manager who, fresh off of a divorce and having enjoyed an upper-class life, finds his life upended when he’s suddenly fired by his company and left with no other job prospects. Desperate to maintain his and his family’s lifestyle, Coop turns to a life of crime, burgling his neighbors' homes and selling pieces of jewelry to stay afloat, though he also inadvertently finds the walls closing in on him as he becomes more ambitious.
Your Friends & Neighbors' Story Starts A Little Show & Only Somewhat Overcomes Familiarity
The Second Half Of The Season Feels Far Better Structured
Considering Tropper’s TV past is largely filled with action-oriented fare, including serving as showrunner onApple TV+‘sSee, I actually admire him changing things up with a more low-stakes story in the form ofYour Friends & Neighbors. He does some fun things with the formula. The entire show is set to the narration of Hamm’s Coop, which not only offers effective moments of levity as he reflects on his situation, but also plays well into the satirical take on the upper class, especially thanks to his own history as the voice of Mercedes-Benz commercials.
Thankfully, Tropper and his writers room really turn things around at the halfway mark ofYour Friends and Neighborsseason 1, in which the stakes actually start to be felt for Coop.
With that said, this new genre transition for Tropper does occasionally have its struggles. One of the biggest is the pacing, with the pilot episode particularly taking so much time to set up Coop and his complicated relationships with those around him. By the time it gets to him contemplating and committing his first crime, we’re already done and heading into the next episode. Even for those watching the first two episodes right away, or binging the show in its entirety, it ultimately feels too slow.
Thankfully, Tropper and his writers room really turn things around at the halfway mark ofseason 1, in which the stakes actually start to be felt for Coop. To be fair, I could have watched a version of this show in which his confidence continued to pay off, particularly as it would have been a nice divergence from theBreaking Badformula by simply following his transformation into a villain rather thana Walter White-like antihero. However, the tension that builds in the final few episodes of the season really kept me hooked.
The Show Could Also Do With Some Better Character Development
No One Feels All That Different By The End Of The Season
One of the other issues that became more prevalent asYour Friends & Neighborswent on was just how little any of the characters develop as the season progresses. Coop always seems to oscillate between enjoying his new criminal lifestyle and wanting to be a respectful family man, but it’s his relationships with the women in his life that feel really underwhelming. It should be commended that Tropper doesn’t write the women to only be sex objects for Coop, but it’s kind of frustrating they don’t push for healthier change and communication from him, thus creating toxic loops.
The biggest example of this is Olivia Munn’s Sam Levitt, a woman in Coop’s friend circle going through a divorce from her adulterous husband and father of her children, who is also having a secret relationship with Coop. Though the two have plenty of chemistry with each other, their connection often feels thinly developed, withMunn’s characterfrequently asking for more, only to be met with emotional walls. This becomes more disappointing when looking at the moments in which Sam’s vulnerability shines through, as her self-worth often feels contradictory to her actions with Coop.
Your Friends & Neighbors’ Cast Keeps Everything Moving Smoothly
Hamm Expertly Mixes The Show’s Comedy & Thrills
Regardless of the show’s writing problems, where it ultimately shines and stays afloat is withYour Friends and Neighbors' cast. Hamm nicely keeps Coop anchored enough for us to stay invested in his well-being, while he shows remarkable chemistry with much of the surrounding cast, particularly Hoon Lee as best friend/business manager Barney and Lena Hall as his troubled sister Ali. While I do think he’s sometimes outshined by his co-stars, particularly narratively, that also goes to show how there’s plenty of room for growth in the already-confirmed season 2.
The first two episodes ofYour Friends & Neighborsbegin streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11, with new episodes released every Friday.
Your Friends and Neighbors
A hedge fund manager, struggling after job loss, turns to burglary to uphold his family’s lifestyle. The series explores the complexities of his double life and the precarious balance he strives to maintain, ultimately leading to unforeseen consequences when he targets the wrong home.
