"Your Friends and Neighbors" has been a frustrating watch. I'm always down for streaming a great Apple TV Plus show — but this isn't one.
I'm not even sure it's good, but I also haven't been able to turn away. Maybe it's Jon Hamm (it's definitely Jon Hamm) or maybe it's that there's a good show in here somewhere.
Maybe it's just that this show is a soap opera masquerading as a prestige TV show, and for all their faults, soap operas are addictive.
Whatever the reason, I didn't need much convincing to watch the season finale.
Sadly, I found myself just as frustrated with the show's season 1 finale as I had been with the previous eight episodes.
Partially, this came down to the fact that "Your Friends and Neighbors," which started as an exploration of a downward spiral, or as Jon Hamm's turn at breaking bad, devolved into a murder mystery, interwoven with a family drama.
But it mostly came down to the fact that, by the end of the show, there were no consequences for anyone.
There are no consequences in 'Your Friends and Neighbors' — which means there are no stakes
Spoilers for "Your Friends and Neighbors" beyond this point
The thing that made "Breaking Bad" work was that we wanted to root for Walter White, at least at first. Yes, Bryan Cranston is also an incredible actor, but Walter was a middle-class father who couldn't make ends meet and had just been diagnosed with cancer.
Coop, on the other hand, is just a rich asshole.
Yes, Jon Hamm is also a great actor, and without him, "Your Friends and Neighbors" probably wouldn't have been greenlit for a season 2. But ultimately, this is a super wealthy guy, ripping off other super wealthy people, and that's not exactly "Robin Hood" or "Breaking Bad."
The more frustrating thing is, the show knows this and tries at times to make Coop likable. His relationship with his sister Ali (Lena Hall) is genuinely deep, and I wish the show would explore it further, because it's the best part about his show.
In the end, that relationship isn't set aside, but it's almost resolved. While everything in Ali's life isn't fixed at the end of the season, she has real closure on her toxic relationship with her ex and is part of Coop's loving family.
In fact, almost every relationship Coop has resolves by the end of the episode. He and his ex-wife, Mel (Amanda Peet), are now amicably divorced. His relationship with his kids is repaired. He just shamed his old boss and hung him out to dry.
There are also no consequences for anything he's done this season. He's exonerated of murder because it turned out he was being framed by his booty call, Sam (Olivia Munn). She's reduced to a spurn lover and done a real disservice by this episode, but even she is let off with a slap on the wrist.
As Mel says to Coop, it's "like none of this ever happened."
As disappointing as this show is, season 2 shows promise
The one thing that did happen this season? Coop has decided to become an art thief.
Granted, it took an entire season to get here, but it seems that Coop has decided to embrace a life of crime. Which, to be fair, Coop has suffered no long-term consequences after robbing multiple neighbors, so why not keep doing it?
The good news is that (hopefully), this can now be the sole focus of season 2. No more murder mystery, no more family drama, just Jon Hamm stealing art from rich people.
Plus, one of those rich people in season 2 looks set to be James Marsden, who has been confirmed to join the season 2 main cast.
Now, a dark comedy show where Jon Hamm robs James Marsden and it goes horribly wrong? That's a show I'd love to watch.
If that's what we get in season 2, then I'll be happy to forget season 1 ever happened and hit play next.
Stream "Your Friends and Neighbors" now on Apple TV Plus
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.
Here's what he's been watching lately:
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