Michael Suarez
The following recap contains spoilers for Lucky S1E1, “No Shortcuts” (written by Jonathan Tropper and directed by Jonathan Van Tulleken) and S1E2, “Make ‘Em Dance” (written by Hilary Bettis and directed by Greg Yaitanes)
There are some actors whose presence in a new project will pique my interest in it. Anya Taylor-Joy is one of those people. Ever since Split, she’s been on my radar, and I haven’t missed anything she’s been in since. So, when I first saw the teaser for her new series Lucky, I knew I was in. Add to that the action and some familiar faces, well, I couldn’t pass this up. Having watched the first two episodes of the limited series, what can I say? I don’t regret my decision to watch it.
Is the show great? Not by any stretch. The first episode, “No Shortcuts,” moves quickly, and things get really interesting in “Make ‘Em Dance,” but I have some issues with what I’ve seen so far. There are cliches and odd pacing, neither of which is an automatic dealbreaker for me, but for a first episode, they are things that stood out to me. To be fair, a first episode shouldn’t have to explain every choice made by either the characters or the writers of the show, but it can sometimes lead to unnecessary conclusions, which I’ll get to. Thankfully, the second episode is an improvement.
That said, I’m a genuine fan of stories that force me to catch up with the narrative and the characters. Just who is Lucky? It’s tough to say at this point, but I know she has a complicated relationship with those closest to her, specifically her father and Cary, her supposed love. I know that she can make some mistakes, but she also seems perfectly capable of escaping a hotel and casino when the FBI is hot on her tail, and taking out two of her ex’s mother’s henchmen using a flare and a screwdriver. I ask again, mostly to myself, just who is Lucky?
Anya Taylor-Joy is always such a watchable presence in her work, and this show is no exception. Some might say that her general look does a lot of the heavy lifting, but I’ll push back against that. She has consistently managed good work for the better part of the decade, whether that be in the form of horror like The Witch, a charming period piece like Emma, or even big swings like The Northman and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. I also can’t forget her other major TV work, The Queen’s Gambit, which earned her very deserved accolades. Every time she appears on screen, I sit up and pay attention.
In the first two episodes of Lucky, Taylor-Joy gives us multiple sides to her eponymous character. There’s the young woman in love, the bleached-blonde fugitive, the reluctant daughter of a criminal, the manipulator, and the do-whatever-it-takes-to-live Lucky, who seems the most honest out of every side we see in this episode. Seriously, seeing her killing both of those henchmen in Episode 1 and her struggling with lying to the family she’s using in Episode 2, it feels more like the Lucky we’re going to be spending more time with than all of the other personas we see throughout the first two episodes. Of course, it’s also fair to say that when one is fighting for their life, their true nature is exposed, but you know, I’ll give the show the benefit of the doubt.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching, listening, and reading series of any kind, it’s that it’s difficult to draw conclusions until the entire story is told. As such, I’m inclined to believe everything a TV show like Lucky tells me, visually or orally. Perhaps there’s more to Lucky than her being a con woman. I can see it. She’s a bit too capable of escaping Caesars Palace. Does that mean she’s got some background other than possibly being part of a father-daughter con family? Am I implying that she, too, is working for the FBI, and she’s actually deep undercover?
I could draw that conclusion, but I don’t want to be disappointed at a twist that never arrives, so right now, Lucky is someone who got screwed, and now she’s on the run from a crime family, as well as the Feds. In addition, it’s tough not to address the issues I have with the first episode. I mean, to be fair, they’re minor, but they are questions I have, nonetheless. Are these things bad writing/directing? Or is there something else going on? Allow me to explain.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Agent Billie Rand, and she’s running things as the FBI closes in on Lucky at Caesars Palace. She’s a cliched law enforcement officer who throws her weight around and seems very committed to finding Lucky (as well as the man we see Lucky with in the episode’s first third). She tells her team not to use their guns on Lucky because she wants her alive. This is fair, because I don’t expect the FBI. to kill people who are connected to a crime family. Lucky could most likely help with an investigation. Still, there’s a moment in the first episode when Agent Rand spots Lucky and calls out for her. Lucky stops and turns, and they have a moment before the chase continues.
Movies and TV shows do this, and to be honest, I’m not the biggest fan. Agent Rand has Lucky. Why call out to her? Run up to Lucky and catch her, right? Also, why does Lucky bother to turn around? And finally, what is that moment they share? Do they know each other? Is there a history between the two? Lots of questions, but again, I’m not going to sit here and expect the show to provide answers, because it’s possible that moment was just a stylistic choice rather than a story or character choice. I mean, to be fair, it can look cool to see someone on the run stop and turn at the person hot on their heels before the action ramps up again, so even though I don’t really like it when that happens, I understand it.
Episode 2 tells us that Agent Rand is ignoring protocol because she has a vendetta. This explains her motivation to go find Lucky on her own without any backup, but it also feels suspicious. When Lucky tells the grandmother of the two girls that Agent Rand is working with the man who beat her, a lie she concocts to explain her situation, is she also telling the truth in some way? After all, during the dinner scene, Lucky seems to tell the grandmother a little bit of truth regarding her ex and his actions toward her. Time will tell if things aren’t what they seem or if they simply are what they seem.
Another issue I have is the FBI. agent who chases Lucky through a big-rig parking lot in Episode 1. This guy takes several shots at Lucky. Did he not get Agent Rand’s instructions not to shoot? Does he not care? Is he really FBI.? I don’t know. The scene, part of which opens the episode, is well done and showcases Lucky’s capabilities once more, but it’s odd. We’re told he was FBI., so I’ll accept that explanation. But it also means it doesn’t make sense why he’s shooting at her.
Nitpicking aside, though, I thoroughly enjoyed “No Shortcuts” and kind of loved “Make ‘Em Dance.” I recommend going into the show with very little to no knowledge of what you’re about to see. The opening to the series tells you a lot, and I wonder what it would’ve been like to have simply started the show in Vegas following Lucky and her beau. It would’ve been such a turn to open the show following a criminal couple, only for things to zig-zag a bit. As of now, we’re shown where Lucky is headed in the opening few minutes, which I’ll admit is smart if you want the audience to know right away what kind of show they’re watching.
Based on just the first two episodes, we’re not dealing with the sharpest, smartest version of this show, but it would do Lucky a disservice to suggest weak writing hurts the overall experience. If anything, the rest works so well that it highlights the writing. Taylor-Joy is so watchable it’s ridiculous. We get a lot of different sides to her character in this premiere, and I’m intrigued. I really believe she’s hiding something from everyone, and despite what I said earlier, I am holding out for that possible reveal.
Clifton Collins Jr., as Dutch, also on Lucky’s trail, knows how to rock shades and a slow walk; Timothy Olyphant as Lucky’s father is always a delight to see in anything; William Fichtner reminded me that he’s very capable of being scary as the mysterious Wayne; and Annette Benning knows what the show is—I found her sardonic speech to be funny. Drew Starkey plays the gentleman who backstabs Lucky in the first episode, and I’m desperate to know how much he knows. Did he know Lucky was using him? Was she using him? Are they actually a couple and in love? Why did he screw her over, and where is he now? I need to know these things, and although he’s absent in Episode 2, I’m fairly confident the show will answer these queries to some degree.
One thing I have to note is the smile that formed on my lips after seeing Alanna Ubach show up in Episode 2, speaking Spanish no less. I’ve loved her for three decades, and seeing her in anything tends to make my viewing experiences better. She is excellent as the grandmother of two young girls who has moved her family to the middle of nowhere to escape a harsh world. Oh, the irony when Lucky shows up, and I felt for the family, specifically the older of the two girls, who looks heartbroken when Lucky leaves them behind.
Overall, I think showrunners Jonathan Tropper and Cassie Pappas have done a solid job. I have yet to read the book by Marissa Stapley, so I can’t say how well they adapted the source material thus far, but the show looks and sounds great. Apple TV has a winner on its hands. Also, beginning with Episode 2, there’s the opening credit sequence featuring a song sung and written for the show by Fiona Apple, and that’s just awesome. Regardless, as long as Anya Taylor-Joy is here, and clearly she is because she’s the title character, so am I.
