Reviewer Rating: 3.8/5.0
3.8
The latest episode of Miami Vice is all about Eve, and I mean Bad Monkey.
A great storytelling tool is a series, movie, or anything else that makes fun of its plot.
This is an effective way to connect with your audience and make a dull part better than before.
The most important thing to remember, though, is that viewers should be aware of the jab, and with Bad Monkey, it’s not clear if the show takes itself seriously.
For a series that feels like nothing ever happened, the writers managed to create a thrilling and entertaining series that wandered through the plot like a morning walk along the beach.
‘Bad Munch’ delivers genuine laughs but falters in making the most of screen and scene time
Whether or not Bad Monkeys is a satire, the series should lean toward it. On top of cliché after cliché comes metaphor after metaphor.
Whenever Vince Vaughn’s character was late to pick up the kids, I would smoke a cigarette and talk about what a nag his ex-wife was. This is the aura he exudes.
Overall, “Bad Monkey” plays out like a drunken dream Jimmy Buffett had while wearing his favorite Hawaiian shirt.
The show does deliver genuine laughs, but falls short when it comes to making the most of screen and scene time.
There are a lot of characters that don’t really contribute anything to the plot.
On one hand, Michelle Monaghan’s Bonnie Witt keeps popping up for some reason.
She is not involved in the story in any way other than knowing Yancy. Yet, somehow, her time in every episode amounts to little more than a brief chat with the main character.
If her character is meant to serve a purpose, the writers need to get on with it.
From Evan to Eve, Bad Monkey curates an elaborate supporting cast
That’s not to say every supporting character is pointless. So far, real estate developer Evan has played no role in the show. However, he is one of the best parts.
Yancey’s strange rivalry with this man is one of the funniest parts of the series.
Honestly, they could have made an entire show about Yancey and Evan’s ongoing one-sided feud.
Now, speaking of Eve, there’s a supporting character who keeps this leaky ship sailing.
From the very first episode, Eve is always at the center of your attention, and for good reason.
In Bad Monkeys Season 1 Episode 4, we finally learn what we suspected about Eve (Meredith Hagner). Call her a badass.
Sure, she’s a criminal and a murderer, but really, she’s just a woman trying to make it in a man’s world.
Besides, no one will miss Heather because of the weather. Additionally, Rosa’s sister had the opportunity to report on the weather conditions.
Nick/Christopher may foot the bill, but Eve makes all the decisions.
She’ll need to be careful when poking the bear, because as we see in this episode, Nick is a father first, a husband second, and a businessman last.
Florida is a fantasy land where men of a certain age can marry beautiful young women
Now, Nick is a more interesting character than I originally thought.
At first, he appears to be just a bumbling husband who will do whatever it takes to keep his sexy wife. While much of this is true, we also see that Nick has a strong spine.
First, he was a liar long before Eve came along. So, we know he’s not a suburban dad who stays up all night wondering what his wild child is up to.
But since meeting Eve, Nick has transformed into a gun-toting boss and started using his own voice. Did you see how quickly He left Eve?
Still, the woman convinces Nick (Rob Delaney) to chop off his arm for an insurance scam. So let’s not pretend that Nick is no longer the strong, loving man he once was.
Although Florida is a dreamy land, men of a certain age can marry beautiful young women. I’m looking at you, Yancey and Ross.
Bad Monkey focuses on women manipulating men and I love it
I don’t want to diss Vince Vaughn, but come on! In what world would that snowman attract a woman like Rosa?
She’s funny, smart, witty, beautiful, and has a great, albeit morbid, job. She could certainly do better than the food detective who didn’t have a car and got a dog bite on her butt.
Bad Monkey does away with all tropes because sex in a morgue never happens. At least not between two sane, fully functioning adults.
This scene both took me out of the story and confirmed my theory about one of the central themes of Bad Monkeys.
The show focuses on women manipulating men, and I love it.
Eve moves Nick around like a chess piece, Bonnie and Rosa can get Yancey to chop off his toe and use it to go fishing, and the Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) can make Neville pee in his pants. .
Speaking of dragon queens, it looks like Nick and Egg are already in the crosshairs of the magical lady.
Do you think the curse on Nick might not have happened because Neville told the Dragon Queen that the man’s name was “Christopher”? Just a thought.
I have to hand it to the production team as well. They did a good job of hiding Nick’s missing arm.
They managed to hide it perfectly until episode four. They even had him get on a bike and shoot a man in the head at close range without revealing the missing limb.
However, he performed much better than Zach Braff. I don’t know what kind of background it would have taken for him to play Izzy, but it was worth it.
The actor brings out all his comedic talents, from his expressions to his perfect timing; Zach Braff is hilarious.
Sadly, we probably won’t see his character again unless there are more flashbacks, but I suspect the show will try to make the most of the actor’s appearance.
While this Apple TV+ series won’t win any awards for outstanding writing or acting, it’s still worth watching.
We’re at the midpoint of the show. That means big things are going to happen soon. After that, the pace may slow down a bit, but that’s normal.
Most shows experience a dip in momentum as the story progresses from start to finish.
Regardless, crack open a cold popsicle and enjoy this relaxing ride filled with lies, murder, and mango-flavored popsicles.
Do you think Yancy can be blamed for Izzy’s death?
Will Eve overstep her authority and try to get rid of Caitlin?
Let us know in the comments below and join me again as I review the next episode of Bad Monkey!
