Stickis a new sports comedy starring Owen Wilson as a washed-up golfer who, through mentoring a young phenom (Peter Dager), begins to get his life back on track. It’s by no means an original premise, and AppleTV+ is already trying to spin the series as the nextTed Lasso(a comparison which could do more harm than good). But that familiar tale proves to be a solid framework for a half-hour dramedywith a talented cast. Its 10-episode season is an enjoyable, almost effortless watch, and even when its story couldn’t always deliver, I appreciated what it was going for.
InStick, Wilson plays Pryce Cahill, a golfer whose professional career went into a tailspin some 20 years ago following a personal tragedy. He sees Santi Wheeler (Dager), a 17-year-old golf prodigy he plans to coach, as his ticket back into the game; a journey they embark on with his former caddy Mitts (Marc Maron) and Santi’s mother Elena (Mariana Treviño).
Stick Is An Uplifting If Not Entirely Original, Feel-Good Sports Story
Underwritten Characters & Overused Tropes Prevent Stick From Reaching Its Potential
Stickisn’t doing anything you haven’t seen before, but it does most of it well. The story is largely predictable, but it’s the kind of underdog/comeback story that works really well in the world of sports. It struggles a bit in balancing the comedy with the more dramatic moments, sometimes leading to wild tonal shifts, but this improves as the season goes on. Unfortunately, the comedy isn’t always as funny as it should be, too often mining tired tropes for laughs, and some of the drama remains frustratingly surface-level.
Stick has a lot to enjoy, which is why it’s disappointing when characters feel underdeveloped or a joke feels dated, robbing the series of its full potential.
That said, there are other times whenStickmanages to thread the needle and deliver a really charming, uplifting story. This mostly comes from the bond that grows between Pryce and Santi, but many of its other plots are emotional and engaging as well (and one, in particular, is absolutely gutwrenching).Stickhas a lot to enjoy, which is why it’s disappointing when characters are underdeveloped or a joke is dated, robbing the series of its full potential.
Stick Gives Owen Wilson A Perfect Role
And Then Surrounds Him With A Strong Supporting Cast
Wilson’s performance as Pryce is a large part ofStick’s charm. The role feels as if it was written for him, perfectly tailored to his brand of affable loser. But it’s also an evolution, allowing Wilson some meaty dramatic material to work with alongside the snark. His best scenes come opposite Dager’s Santi, with their generational divide providing the humor and their genuine need for each other delivering the tug-at-the-heartstrings drama. Dager shows promise in his role, but it’s also a tad underwritten, and he can only bring so much depth to it.
Maron is well typecast as the grouchy caddy and he has several great scenes with Treviño’s Elena, who shines in a role that could have easily been forgettable. The two have great chemistry, and there’s an almost sitcom quality to their interactions. A few episodes in, Lili Kay joins as the uber-progressive, gender-fluid Zero. She’s excellent in the role, but her character is frustratingly more stereotype than person. This lessens, thankfully, as the season goes on, but it’s one of the more egregious examples ofStick’s writing feeling lazy.
Judy Greer’s turn as Pryce’s ex-wife Amber-Linn is fun, but she’s underused, forced to make the most of a character that’s given little to do. Meanwhile, Timothy Olyphant has a standout performance as a former rival of Pryce’s that leaves an impression despite the little screentime.
The comparisons being made between this show and other AppleTV+ offerings – namely,Ted Lasso, but alsoShrinking– are a little unfair because, judged on its own merits,Stickis a very good series. But its faults, however minor, might be enough to discourage viewers from sticking with it, especially in this competitive streaming landscape. I’m hopeful that won’t be the case because, as a whole, the series is worth your time.
Stick’s first three episodes release on AppleTV+ on June 4, with new episodes weekly on Wednesdays.
Stick
Cast
A disgraced golf pro seeks redemption by mentoring a troubled teen prodigy, igniting a journey of healing and second chances.
