Critic’s Rating: 3.8 / 5.0
3.8
Welcome back to another riveting episode of “funny looking tall man attracts beautiful women with his questionable humor.” Otherwise known as Bad Monkey.
I’m not suggesting the series is one formulaic cliche after another. I’m actively typing it at the top of my lungs.
That said, Bad Monkey is a genuinely funny show with a lot going for it beyond Vince Vaughn.
As the story develops alongside another, this series is taking its time before the two intertwine.
While it was a questionable decision initially, it’s becoming clear why that was the best route. The series can fully flesh out the major characters before things get crazy.
Although, I don’t know how much time Vince Vaughn needs to develop a character based on Vince Vaughn.
Vince Vaughn Keeps A Vice Grip On Playing Himself In Every Role
It doesn’t take more than a few minutes of any of the first three episodes to see that Vince is playing himself.
While I’ve never met the guy, he’s portrayed the same wise-cracking character, whether he’s the lead or a supporting character.
From Mr. & Mrs. Smith to Four Christmases and Wedding Crashers, Vince Vaughn is always the tall, funny man who isn’t afraid of physical comedy.
I’ve never seen Curb Your Enthusiasm, so you all will have to let me know if his character, Freddy Funkhouser, is the same as Vince Vaughn’s previous characters.
That’s not the only trend that seems to pop up in every one of the actor’s projects.
As joked about in the opening of this review, Vince Vaughn somehow always manages to bag the most beautiful broad.
Now, as this episode references, “tall” is a trait that women hold in high regard, but that can’t be the ONLY attractive quality—not for the story to be believable anyway.
First, Michelle Monaghan’s Bonnie Witt has been buzzing around Vaughn’s Yancy since Bad Monkey Season 1 Episode 1.
What possible purpose could this character serve when she’s not connected to any of the plots but pops up to tease Yancy randomly?
It’s as if her only role is to prove that Vince Vaughn’s character can land a lovely lady if he wants. And, by extension, all men who walk around bleeding from their ass.
I could understand Bonnie because the character is as reliable as a lit candle against a strong breeze.
But Rosa? Really? The gorgeous, strong-headed, intelligent coroner?
The hardest part to grasp is that she can’t find a viable man in all of Miami and the Keys. There are doctors and lawyers everywhere!
I refuse to believe that a former detective turned food cop with unreliable means of transportation is her only option.
Bad Monkey Brings Deadly Consequences To Any Who So Much As Talks To Andrew Yancy
For a guy who has to rely on rides and his bike in-between moments of having a car, he manages to cover a lot of distance.
Enough that whoever is following him must be putting in some serious mileage. That’s the only way all the people he encounters die.
I mean, Zach Braff did not stand a chance.
As soon as the camera panned into his apartment with the music swelling while he stared in the camera’s direction, I knew it was over for him.
Zach has to get home to keep counting those royalty checks from Scrubs!
On a show like Bad Monkey, though, he could always be brought back as a twin to his deceased character. That’s Florida for you.
The Striplings Are One Big Happy Family Of Federal Felons
Speaking of the dead coming back to life, I was surprised to see Christopher is the very alive Mr. Stripling.
I will say that I got a hint that the two men might be the same when Yancy questioned Zach Braff’s character about Eve and her husband.
That means Christopher must work hard to keep his face hidden since The Keys are apparently only a forty-five-minute flight from Nassau.
That’s great to know for travel purposes, but it’s a bit of an obstacle for the writers.
Especially since the character is bold enough to point a gun at a local while involved in a life insurance scam.
So, what will happen now that Caitlin is on the big twist?
Depending on what the writers plan, she’ll either be on board or have a question of faith that causes her to contact Yancy.
And if we’ve learned anything from the Dragon Queen, it’s that without faith, there is no magic.
Bad Monkey Manages To Tell A Tale Where Something And Nothing Is Always Happening At The Same Time
One of the most interesting characters in Bad Monkey is the Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith).
Wrapped in mystery and intrigue, the character glides into her scenes as if she can see the soul of every person she encounters.
And Miss Mambo is serving Island Queen with every sharp word out of her mouth towards Neville.
The way the story has been set up, it’s as if the writers and creators want the viewer to be as skeptical of her as Neville. And it’s working.
I know the character isn’t real, but the performance is so good that I’m too frightened to call her out on anything.
It would be fantastic entertainment if her curse turned out to be authentic.
Lord knows Neville has undoubtedly paid for some fireworks at this point.
If the curse is meant to bring Yancy and Neville together, it’ll need to work harder than Driggs.
The monkey cannot be the defining factor that connects Yancy and Neville. It’s too lazy.
For a series titled Bad Monkey, the writers are not trying hard to make it relevant to the story.
Beyond scrutinizing the questionable plotting, Bad Monkey is a fun casual watch.
It does a great job of keeping the pace going, even if nothing is actually happening.
Thankfully, we’re past the series’ “world development” stage and can move on to the meat of this Apple TV+ series.
The way the show is gearing up, audiences have gunfire and bad-guy battles coming their way.
In a nutshell, Bad Monkey is a series where something and nothing are always happening simultaneously.
So, grab an ice-cold beer from the cooler and enjoy this wild ride of a restaurant inspector who polices more than food!
Were you shocked that Christopher and Eve’s husband are the same guy?
What do you think will finally unite Yancy and Neville?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join me again when I review the next episode of Bad Monkey!