There are many laugh-out-loud moments in the sophomore season of Maya Rudolph's show. But this iteration of Loot is light on both politics and punchlines, writes Joshua Muyiwa. |
In the first season of Apple TV’s Loot, we were introduced to Molly Novak née Wells, played by the inimitable Maya Rudolph, the heartbroken starter-wife of John Novak (Adam Scott), a tech multi-billionaire. She wins 87 billion dollars in a divorce settlement after being cheated on. And for the rest of the season, lots of hilarity ensues and the absurdity and awkwardness of being outrageously rich as observed by those around her form the butt of most of the jokes. The supporting cast swings in and out of scenes with the setup and Rudolph as Molly just knocks them out of the park. Through the first season, Molly grows from an out-of-touch rich woman to an adorable trainwreck to a well-meaning philanthropist when she decides to give away her fortune over the course of her lifetime at the end of the season. |
Cut to season two (we’ve watched the first three episodes), Molly is still ridiculously wealthy. And while her feet might be a couple of centimetres closer to the ground, she still keeps referring to her giant, grand mansion as a downsized cabana. Her ex is hanging around hoping for another chance, now bored of his young, hot wife. And things at Molly’s charitable foundation seem to be moving into second gear with a clearly-defined plan to take on Los Angeles’ real-life problem of homelessness. Watch the latest English films and shows, with OTTplay Premium's Jhakaas monthly pack, for only Rs 249. In this season, the supporting cast of characters are given a bigger bite of the storylines: Sofia Salinas (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez), the one running the charity foundation finds romance with Molly’s architect friend Isaac (O-T Fagbenle); foundation employee Howard (Ron Funches), Molly’s cousin learns to handle his personal finances; Molly’s always catty secretary Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster) faces his own queer insecurities that lead to understanding his failed romantic entanglements and journeys to learn about his Korean roots. And yes, Arthur (Nat Faxon), the foundation’s accountant, and Molly get together after her series of crash-and-burn relationships in the first season. Surprisingly, they make a sweet and steamy couple: Arthur’s blandness acts a perfect foil for Molly’s brilliance. |
But three episodes in, this season giving the supporting cast more scenery to chew does simmer some of the show’s sparkle. It moves us away from consuming more of Rudolph as Molly, pitch perfectly holding this ensemble cast together. Yet, Rudolph still steals every scene, even managing to sparkle in a solo scene vacuuming the carpets of her Cabana Mansion in a caftan. Her downsized home with five pools makes most Architectural Digest celebrity home tours seem modest. Her weird, wacky and wonderful choice of clothes gives Susie from Curb Your Enthusiasm (we’ll miss you!) a run for her money. And still, we find ourselves forgiving her swimming in luxury and flat-out blindness to the world around her. Rudolph is that good. The two year break from its first season has also meant the writing feels slightly stodgy. This means not every plot point finds a meaningful end nor does every joke have a payoff. The relief is that a majority of them do hit the sweet spot. |
The fundamental trouble at the centre of Loot is that Molly constantly promises us she’ll be giving away her entire fortune, she’s holding press conferences and declaring it to anyone who will listen. She also digs in her heels and says billionaires like her shouldn’t exist. But the show itself doesn’t follow through. It doesn’t seem to be interested in seeing that through, instead it’s still interested in mining the humour from Molly being a rich fish out of water. And yes, there are genuine laugh-out-loud moments in each of these episodes but you’ll always feel like you’re staring into a fish-bowl wondering why the humans in it aren’t striving to be better despite their opportunities. Unfortunately, in its second season, Loot is light on the politics and the punchlines. |
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