Stick

Interesting characters, decent writing, good acting and one snotty millennial actress Lilly Kay just destroys the show and renders it unwatchable. The chemistry between the rest of the cast is good, she is like a permanent oil stain on a racetrack.

Good portrayal of what it is like to be a golfer, the precarious balance between confidence and coming off the rails at any moment. The precarious balance between letting a teenager test himself and providing the safety net when he predictably fails. Owen Wilson is the perfect "former great golfer" - equal measure of chaos, arrogance and neediness.

Stick is one of Apple TV's latest offerings and it is one of their best, albeit with one major flaw. The show is mostly good, with a wonderful performance from Owen Wilson as former golf pro, Pryce. It's cool to see him in a TV show rather than a film. He becomes a mentor for young, up and comer Santi, who is played by Peter Dager. Mariana Trevino plays his mom, while Marc Maron plays Pryce's friend. These four are all great. I love the performances all around, for different reasons. We even get Timothy Olyphant for a few episodes. The dynamics and dialogue between all the main characters are what makes it so watchable. I felt invested in their stories and what they were going through. A job well done with them.

The biggest flaw of the show is the Zero character, played by Lilli Kay. She is just annoying and cringe with some of the things she says. I don't know what they were thinking with her. She's snotty and entitled. I can't stand her. It looks like I'm not alone.

Overall, Stick is rewarding in the end, especially if you "stick" with it. There are many emotional moments throughout that really connects you with the characters and makes you feel for them. Some of the comedy is genuinely good. Even if you don't like golf, it has enough going for it to suck you in.

My hopes weren't particularly high with this one as the marketing seemed very lightweight and the first episode in particular included every single washed up star cliche in the book. But as the show goes on and the core premise started to take shape, I soon find myself looking forward to each episode.

Stick has been dubbed 'the golf Ted Lasso' but doesn't quite swing for the same dramatic depths (other than a few standout scenes) and the writing is not quite as tight (whether intentional or not, almost every character has moments where they come across as unlikeable or rude).

However what we do have is a light, breezy watch that doesn't outstay its welcome, and a few moments of euphoria when everything clicks and the show is firing on all cylinders. If you're going throgh a tough time in your life, this might just be the show you need right now.

Bonus points if you're a golf fan - there's plenty of references and the actual golfing itself is shot rather well!

Let's talk anout the things that got me to watch it. Did it look like a golf version of Ted Lasso? Yes. Does Owen Wilson make me laugh? Yes.

So what is it about the show that can't hold up to what I expected to see? The character development is both rushed, and dragged on for too long. They literally have no growth or dimension and it's really hard to just sit there, watching this unbelievable fable, hitting myself on the head thinking, there is no way anyone is this dumb, dramatic, whiny, insufferable, in real life.

What I wish would happen, is that a switch will click and the writers will realize they do in fact have something they can work with. Stop making Santi a kid that thinks he's too good for the game and doesn't need help from anyone. Stop forcing the issue with Zero being a them, and just let the character be. Elena should not be there. Period, she does nothing to the show except cause unnecessary drama and conversation with everyone and it never makes you feel good after she has had her 2 seconds of fluff.

Last thing I would like to say, has anyone seen a show that is worse than this show with putting on the opening credits? Usually a show will leave you on a joke, a feel good moment, or a suspenseful happening that is coming to make you want to continue. But every episode (6) I have almost felt the urge to shut it off at the opening credits because all (6) have been at the worst most mundane start to a show that I've ever experienced. Please I urge you to do better Stick. I don't know if I'll watch another episode. I have a strong feeling this is a one and done series.

Thanks for reading.

Owen Wilson carries off this light weight comedy well, he's funny with good timing, plus his character is well written and interesting.

The young golfer is an awfully unlikeable character and his girlfriend (I think) Zero is even worse, they are both grumpy, spoilt people and I'll throw in badly acted.

And that just drags down this show to just being okay, firstly is Zero a boy pretending to be a girl or vice versa, I'm not sure, but more importantly I don't care, she's just a boring sad character, I can't quit workout why they dropped her into the story.

More amusing than funny, with all the best lines going to Wilson, again the golf prodigy and his girlfriend are unlikeable characters without any funny lines, just dull attempts at comments on society.