If anyone can get us to sympathize with a clueless billionaire, it’s Maya Rudolph, right? The SNL alum has been a reliable source of laughs for two solid decades now, and it’s nice to see her get a well-deserved turn in the spotlight with the new Apple TV+ comedy Loot, premiering this Friday (I’ve seen the first five episodes). Loot is a pleasant enough viewing experience, with a few sharp one-liners and a truly top-notch cast. But it’s also slightly disappointing, hampered by repetitive plot dynamics and a confused tone.
Rudolph stars as Molly, a filthy rich wife whose carefree life of luxury comes to a screeching halt when she catches her tech gazillionaire husband (Adam Scott) cheating. Her consolation prize is an eye-popping $87 billion (!) divorce settlement, but it doesn’t help much; if she’s not a rich guy’s wife, Molly doesn’t even know who she is anymore. Aimless and lonely, she gets a call out of the blue from a charity foundation in her name that she didn’t even know existed — and she latches on to it, inspired to clean up her act and put her money to good use, MacKenzie Bezos-style.
Rudolph’s innate warmth does a lot to keep the show afloat, though, and she’s buoyed by a supporting cast loaded with seasoned comedy veterans. Joel Kim Booster gets most of the best punchlines as Molly’s eager assistant Nicholas (“On the scale of ageless Jennifers, you went from Aniston to Lopez,” he tells his boss), and Ron Funches is a lot of fun as Molly’s distant relative Howard, who got a job at the foundation thanks to her. Nat Faxon gives off major Toby-from-The Office vibes as dorky divorced accountant Arthur, and there’s a cute semi-romance brewing between him and Molly. Plus, Pose standout Michaela Jaé Rodriguez gets to show off her comedic skills as the foundation’s idealistic director Sofia.
It’s tough, because there’s so much about this show that I like, but I can’t shake the feeling that I wanted to see something more ambitious and boundary-breaking (and funny!) from a creative team of this caliber. Though there’s still time for Loot to find its footing and take a harder look at its main character, so far it goes down as a missed opportunity.
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Maya Rudolph gets the starring role she deserves, but her Apple TV+ comedy Loot is disappointingly mediocre.