Apple TV+’s Bad Monkey wrapped its first season this week, and we haven’t written about it yet, which is unusual because Bill Lawrence is one of my favorite television showrunners and Vince Vaughn is one of my favorite comedic actors.
I am not, however, as big a fan of Carl Hiassen as Lawrence clearly is, and I wasn’t that into Bad Monkey, the novel. When I read it, I didn’t picture Vince Vaughn in the lead, but his portrayal of Yancy retroactively changed my entire perception of the book. So much so that I now plan to give the sequel to Bad Monkey, Razor Girl, a try since I can better see Hiassen’s world through Lawrence’s vision. That’s not how television adaptations are supposed to work—we’re supposed to be annoyed that the characters in the show don’t live up to the visions in our minds—but I vibe better with Lawrence. He provided the bridge necessary to better appreciate the novel.
Also, Bad Monkey is the best use of Vince Vaughn since Wedding Crashers (although, I did like him in Freaky). He’s as naturally a Key-West fast-talking detective-type as Adam Brody is a hot rabbi. It just works, and I love that Vaughn is a strong enough presence to make the role as much his own as it is Lawrence’s.
The rest of the cast is great too, from Rob Delaney in the meatiest role he’s had since Catastrophe to Meredith Hagner (Search Party), Natalie Martinez, Michelle Monaghan, Alex Moffat, John Ortiz, and Jodie Turner-Smith. The series is a good hang: light, quick-moving, and funny. It also seemed to improve as the season progressed.
Spoilers for the End
The series really found its legs halfway through, particularly Jodie Turner-Smith’s Dragon Queen storyline, which didn’t work at all initially (and felt a little ick). However, by the end, the Dragon Queen was not only one of my favorite characters, but I was crushed to see her die.
In fact, I’m not sure that I loved how the story as a whole ended—from Christopher being shoved into the ocean by Eve, who choked on a baby carrot and fell to her death (perhaps because of the Dragon Queen’s black magic), to Yancy permanently losing his job as a detective, and Rosa breaking up with him (for now). But the story also didn’t seem to matter that much, except as a vehicle to spend time with these characters.
That’s why I’m still excited about the prospect of a second season, which seems all but assured—the series has flip-flopped with Slow Horses as Apple TV+’s top show for the last two months, and I suspect that Apple TV+ will want to stay in Bill Lawrence’s good graces. Razor Girl, which Lawrence has already said would be adapted for a second season, also sees the return of Yancy, Rosa, and Yancy’s former partner, played by John Ortiz.
Good show. Seven out of 10. Would recommend.
