There’s one thing oddly satisfying about watching somebody spiral spectacularly and then slowly, painfully attempt to patch their life again collectively. That’s the candy spot Stick occupies an emotionally offbeat comedy-drama that isn’t in a rush to impress you. It strolls onto the course, rusty golf equipment in hand, muttering outdated golf metaphors and questionable knowledge, however then someplace between a wayward drive and a heartfelt monologue, it really wins you over.
Owen Wilson performs Pryce Cahill, a man who as soon as had the whole lot: a championship title, a comfortable life, and a marriage that appeared secure from the surface. Quick-ahead to now, and he’s a hole model of himself, promoting golf gear at a strip mall retailer, nursing a hangover most days, and attempting to not run into individuals who bear in mind who he was once. Wilson leans into the position along with his signature weary appeal; he’s not attempting to be likable, however he’s. Pryce is petty, bitter, defensive, and unshaven, however beneath the sarcasm is a man who nonetheless desires to matter.
Enter Santi Wheeler, performed by Peter Dager, a 17-12 months-outdated who’s as uncooked and unfiltered as they arrive. He’s bought a pure swing, a chip on his shoulder the scale of a sand lure, and sufficient teenage vanity to energy a small nation. Their assembly is as unglamorous as you’d count on Pryce getting kicked out of his retailer job and Santi exhibiting up as a part of a second-probability faculty program. From there, the sequence builds the core relationship between them slowly, and that’s a part of its appeal. It doesn’t rush into tacky breakthroughs. As an alternative, it lets the miscommunication, awkward silences, and bruised egos breathe.
Stick works finest when it forgets it is a “sports activities sequence” and focuses as a substitute on the awkward dance of two misfits who’re extra alike than they need to admit. Santi has the world forward of him, however nobody to information him. Pryce has all of the expertise on the planet, however nobody wants him anymore. Their lives collide not with fireworks however with a uninteresting thud, and that’s what makes their evolving partnership really feel earned.
The present’s dialogue is a specific power. It isn’t attempting too arduous to be intelligent, which paradoxically makes it land higher. Conversations really feel lived-in. They’re not at all times snappy or quotable, however they’re grounded. There’s a memorable stretch in episode 4 the place Pryce teaches Santi learn how to putt—not simply technically, however psychologically. It turns into a form of remedy session in disguise. These moments-those that handle to be humorous, unhappy, and quietly cathartic all at as soon as—are the place Stick actually sticks the touchdown.
Visually, the present makes golf look higher than it’s. That’s not an insult to the game, however golf on display screen tends to be both hyper-dramatized or simply boring. Stick sidesteps each traps. It shoots the sport in a relaxed, breezy means. The digicam doesn’t worship the swing or the ball flight. It focuses on the gamers ‘ physique language, their hesitations, and the pauses earlier than and after the shot. And because the sport mirrors life for these characters, it is smart that the moments between the motion matter greater than the swing itself.
The supporting forged helps spherical out the story’s emotional edges. Marc Maron performs Mitts, Pryce’s solely actual buddy, and he brings the right dose of acerbic loyalty. He’s the form of man who tells you you’re screwing up whereas handing you a sandwich. Lilli Kay’s Zero, Santi’s buddy (possibly one thing extra), brings some wanted vulnerability to stability out his posturing. Judy Greer as Pryce’s ex-spouse is properly-used; her scenes by no means really feel like exposition dumps, and she manages to convey each disappointment and lingering affection with the tiniest shifts in tone.
Now, all that stated, Stick isn’t flawless. At instances, it leans on tropes it’s clearly attempting to keep away from. There are a few too many gradual-movement “realization moments” scored by acoustic guitar. And whereas most episodes movement properly, some dip into filler territory, particularly within the center stretch. Episode six, as an illustration, looks like a pause in momentum fairly than a deepening of character. Additionally, the present sometimes stretches believability in how shortly Santi improves or how forgiving establishments are towards Pryce’s habits. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it surely chips away at the grounded tone the present is in any other case dedicated to.
The humor, too, is uneven. There’s additionally a noticeable distinction in tone between the primary and final episodes. The finale tries to wrap issues up with extra neatness than obligatory, which feels barely out of sync with how messy and actual the characters are in any other case written.
Nonetheless, what lingers after the credit roll isn’t the failings; it’s the connection at the middle of all of it. Wilson and Dager have real chemistry. Their connection grows progressively, with simply sufficient pressure and tenderness to maintain you invested. By the point Pryce begins seeing a model of himself in Santi and hating it, you understand simply how a lot the present has allow them to each develop with out fanfare.
In the long run, Stick is much less about golf and extra about two individuals studying to goal once more, not simply at holes or trophies, however at the form of lives they need to reside. It’s about stumbling into relevance, even once you assume your finest years are behind you. It’s scrappy, a little uneven, however quietly heartfelt. And typically, that’s sufficient.
Final Rating- [7/10]
Reviewed by – Anjali Sharma
Comply with @AnjaliS54769166 on Twitter
Writer at Midgard Occasions
Word: All 10 episodes are screened for this assessment.
Premiere Date: June 4, 2025, on Apple TV+ with the primary three episodes adopted by a new episode each Wednesday.
