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Adapted from the 2013 Carl Hiaasen novel of the same name, Apple TV+’s “Bad Monkey” is a Florida-set dramedy that follows scorned detective Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn). Yancy was forced to transfer to Miami after he rammed his ex-girlfriend's new beau’s golf cart into a lake; his tumultuous life continues to spiral until he’s kicked off the force for good and becomes a health inspector. But, when a tourist hooks a human arm on a fishing line, Yancy is drawn into a murder mystery that he believes is the key to reinstating himself back into the job he believes he’s destined for.
But, after meeting the widow of the deceased, Eve Stripling (Meredith Hagner), he becomes suspicious that there is more to this story than he initially thought. As the mystery slowly unfolds, “Bad Monkey” gets more and more outlandish, but it works perfectly for the world Bill Lawrence has created. Juxtaposed with the Florida-set portion is a coexisting story focusing on Neville Stafford (Ronald Peet), a young Bahamian fisherman, which adds a darker flair that the series desperately needed.
Neville, like Yancy, finds himself in over his head when his house is set up to be demolished by developers, and he attempts to do anything to stop it. Their stories don’t directly connect for more than half of the series, but despite this, the two characters work as mirrors for each other's journeys. Unfortunately, it almost feels as if these two stories should have connected quicker than they did, and at times I found myself yearning for more screen time for Peet.
Like Lawrence’s other work, Yancy and Neville are surrounded by an ensemble cast of characters who at times steal the spotlight. There’s Yancy’s former partner and best friend Rogelio Burton (John Ortiz), who gets wrapped up in all his shenanigans, and Bonnie Witt (Michelle Monaghan), his ex-lover, who he can’t seem to shake. But, at the heart of both stories is Rosa Campesino (Natalie Martinez), a medical examiner from Miami, and Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith), an Obeah–practicing woman living in the Bahamas.
Though at first, it feels as if these two will simply be love interests or narrative foils for the series’ leading men, Martinez and Turner-Smith end up stealing the show. Rosa’s budding connection with Yancy leads her to join him on his unofficial police investigation, while Neville desperately seeks out Dragon Queen’s in an attempt to change his life. Both pairings are quite different from one another, but that’s what makes them work. There’s a magnetic push-and-pull happening in each of these relationships, and it's what makes “Bad Monkey” worth watching. When Martinez and Vaughan and Turner-Smith and Peet are on screen together, respectively, the series is electric. The camera holds on their faces, close and almost suffocating in nature, allowing the admiration (and, at times, apprehension) these characters have for one another to shine.
Sometimes, though, these two storylines and all the characters that come with them clash, making “Bad Monkey” feel a bit amateur. But this isn’t the show’s most pressing grievance: the grating narration haunts the characters' moves and the series’ narrative. As Neville and Yancy are chased through their respective neighborhoods, in comes a voice that shatters any sense of tension. It’s a hindrance to the story and its characters, both of which are smart enough to guide us along the Florida coast. The narration ultimately takes away the seriousness of the show’s emotional beats and the actors who easily sell them. It feels as if the series doesn’t trust its audience to understand the story, and with one so straightforward, I can’t help but wonder why.
However, with an acting ensemble that so easily blends into this wild world that Bill Lawrence has created, the characters make “Bad Monkey” as entertaining as it is. Without Turner-Smith and Hagner, this show would be missing the spark that allows it to become more than just a middling mystery. While this is true, the episodes sometimes drag, and “Bad Monkey” feels like proof that we need to bring back 30-minute comedies. Although it’s frustrating to watch at times and almost outstays its welcome, it’s clear that there is something special here. Unfortunately, it just takes too long to discover this spark.
Premieres on Apple TV+ on August 14th. Whole season screened for review.
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