One of the aspects of AMC’s classic drama Breaking Bad that makes it so fascinating is that Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a seemingly normal dude who somehow finds himself embroiled in a dark and dirty world of crime. Even though he tells himself that he’ll get out of the game as soon as he has enough money to make his family comfortable, there’s something about the conniving and planning that really speaks to his soul. He’s not eager to admit that he’s actually kind of good at being a criminal, but in the end, that’s what makes him the perfect antihero. Even if he claims he’s committing crimes for the “right reasons,” he’s still breaking the law (and hurting a lot of people in the process). Since Breaking Bad went off the air in 2013, we’ve been missing this type of smart crime drama (with a dash of humor thrown in). And now that Jon Hamm‘s new Apple TV+ series Your Friends & Neighbors has just wrapped up its first season, it’s clear that we’ve found its successor.
‘Your Friends & Neighbors’ Will Draw You In From the Very First Scene
Your Friends & Neighbors opens with a completely intriguing scene. Andrew “Coop” Cooper (Hamm) awakens to find himself next to a dead body. As he spots the ocean of blood on the floor next to him, Coop must make some quick decisions to get himself out of this situation. From there, the series works backwards to explain just how Coop has found himself in such precarious circumstances. Even before the dead body pops up, Coop’s life had been unraveling. Several months prior, he had come home early from work to discover his wife, Mel (Amanda Peet), was having an affair with his best friend, Nick (Mark Tallman). Coop moves out to a sad, much smaller home, leaving his two teenage children in Mel’s care. Coop feels like he woke up one day to have his entire life shaken up (and that he’s been replaced by Nick). But then somehow Coop’s life gets even worse. He’s unceremoniously fired from his hedge fund job (where he was incredibly successful, and made the company a great deal of money).
While trying to hide his new jobless status, Coop knows that he’ll need to come up with an influx of money if he’s going to keep up appearances in his uber-wealthy lifestyle. Coop looks around at his friends in their posh lives and realizes that all the material items they own go completely unnoticed and unappreciated. That’s when Coop makes a bold (and pretty foolish) decision. He’s going to become a thief, lifting items from his friend’s homes when they’re not there. Because these people are so stupidly rich, they won’t even notice a missing Rolex or handbag (with price tags of thousands and thousands of dollars). He’ll simply sell the items to a pawnbroker, Lu (Randy Danson), and live a double life as a criminal and as a wealthy member of society. The series becomes instantly gripping because we know that Coop’s luck won’t be there forever, but also because watching how the other half lives is always compelling television. Throw in some twists and turns in the storytelling, dry humor, and plenty of danger, and Your Friends & Neighbors is a must-watch.
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‘Your Friends and Neighbors’ premieres April 11 on Apple TV+.
Jon Hamm Is the Perfect Anti-Hero in ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’
Coop is someone you want to root for because he’s charming and smart. Even if you want to be annoyed by his rich-boy smarminess, he’s also got a heart of gold underneath. Coop is suave, but he’s also really loving, especially when it comes to how he interacts with his ex-wife and his children. He’s also the main support system for his sister, Ali (Lena Hall), who struggles with mental illness. It’s clear that there isn’t anything Coop wouldn’t do for the people he loves (which turns out, includes grand larceny). You find yourself cheering him on (even when he’s committing crimes) because it’s so apparent that this guy just truly needs a win at this point in his life. That’s not to say that Coop isn’t also kind of icky at times. He sleeps with Mel’s best friend, Samantha (Olivia Munn), and it tends to feel like he’s leading her on. And once his crime spree starts, he lies to everyone in his life, including his best friend and money manager, Barney (Hoon Lee). Even as the lies snowball and the fallout from Coop’s crimes become apparent, Coop still can’t seem to get himself out of the criminal lifestyle.
With other lesser actors, Coop would seem like, let’s just say it, a douchey finance bro. He’s got a giant ego, which won’t allow him to just accept that maybe being wealthy isn’t in the cards for him anymore. But Hamm depicts Coop with a heartbreaking sadness and a vulnerable neediness that makes him relatable. We’re able to hear Coop’s inner sentiments through a thoughtful narration from Hamm, which only adds to the intimate connection with the character. Although it’d be great if Coop just focused on getting a job instead of how to escape his neighbors’ security systems, Emmy-winning Hamm reminds us that even rich guys have feelings. Coop clearly doesn’t always make great decisions, but his overall goal of somehow winning his family back makes him a protagonist at heart. He might be willing to break the law like Walt in Breaking Bad, but Hamm portrays Coop as someone who hasn’t lost his humanity completely.
‘Your Friends & Neighbors’ Has a Supporting Cast To Die For
Hamm is only able to successfully depict Coop’s world because of the talented actors who make up the rest of the Your Friends & Neighbors cast. Peet is fantastic as Coop’s ex; she’s not bitter at all, but rather frustrated that Coop didn’t fight for his family when he had the chance. Aimee Carrero is another standout as Elena Benavides, a whip-smart maid who helps Coop expand his criminal enterprise. Munn is also perfection as Sam; she’s one of the few members of the community who didn’t grow up with wealth and often views the events from an outsider’s perspective. Then there’s Danson, who steals every scene she’s in as Coop’s no-nonsense pawnbroker partner. Even the actors cast in more minor roles as fixtures of Coop’s community create a believable enclave of some of the richest people in the country (who Coop just can’t wait to rip off).
Your Friends & Neighbors has already been renewed for a second season (and is currently in production), which means that there will be plenty more chapters to follow in Coop’s story. It will be interesting to see whether the writers decide to have Coop go down Walt’s path, where redemption is no longer possible, or if they’ll have him eventually realize that a life of crime always ends up in a bad place. For now, we’ll be enjoying this thrilling drama that is helping to give us our Breaking Bad fix.
Season 1 of Your Friends & Neighbors is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.