Not a good deed confirms a well-known fact: the Los Angeles real estate market is no joke. Forget the mortgage or maintaining a spectacular Spanish-style villa. What if a terrible crime was committed in the living room, there was a creepy hiding place in the bedroom, or the neighbors were crazy? Any potential buyer of Paul (Ray Romano) and Lydia Morgan’s (Lisa Kudrow) huge, sunny corner house on Derby Drive may have to contend with these issues. In the fascinating premieres as people come in and out during an open house, the couple eats popcorn and spies on everyone from a locked room. The two are obsessed with finding the right family to take over the property and prevent their terrible secrets from coming to light.

At first glance, the show is a promising, juicy mix Desperate housewives and series creator Liz Feldman’s previous show, Dead to me, especially after a few eager buyers integrate themselves into the Morgans’ lives (just like Judy did with Jen). DTM). Not to mention, Not a good deedThe coveted cast also includes Dead to me alum Linda Cardellini in another stunning performance. Despite these advantages, Feldman’s Netflix sequel slowly falls apart because – gasp – it’s pretty boring, with half-baked scripts, a lack of tension, disjointed storylines that come together too late, and superficial character development.

That’s disappointing, considering Feldman has demonstrated her ability to tell dark personal stories from a thoroughly droll perspective. Dead to me is tender and comical in its exploration of the bond between two friends in the face of trauma. Not a good deed It seriously struggles to achieve a similar atmosphere, as the script fails to cultivate the emotions or momentum enough to achieve adequate success. But that’s not because Kudrow and Romano are lacking in attempts, seeming determined to add nuance to their characters’ complicated marriages.

The series shakily reveals the shattered relationship between Paul and Lydia after the death of their son three years ago. Through the illusion of selling her beloved house, Not a good deed explores why Paul can’t wait to get away, while Lydia can’t let go of the memories of the place where her children grew up. This tug of war, along with grief and a series of lies, has created a divide and the need for a new beginning. Not a good deed has bursts of success when it comes to how Paul and Lydia are doing. But the show is often distracted by brief flashbacks and convoluted twists.



The rest of the cast also feels exhausted as underdeveloped supporting players vie to acquire the expensive Derby Drive property. There are the stubborn Leslie (Abbi Jacobson) and Sarah (Poppy Liu), who want to start a family in their “dream home”; an expectant Carla (Teyonah Parris) and her new husband Dennis (OT Fagbenle), who hope to achieve the same thing, ideally without the help of his overbearing mother (played perfectly by Anna Marie Horsford); and JD (Luke Wilson), a down-and-out soap opera star who wants to downsize and join Yellowstone Universe.

The performances are fine, but it’s a special treat to see Cardellini as Margo, JD’s bitchy poster girl who uses her cleavage and flirting skills to manipulate any situation. She comes to life in the incredibly long paragraphs of a character who is the exact opposite of that Dead to meThis is Judy. Still, these three couples don’t add any extra spark because they have limited descriptions. Not even the secrets they keep from each other – Sarah’s IVF journey, Carla’s family background, Margo’s plan – have any impact. Their arches feel stilted – and the same goes for them Not a good deedis an edit that doesn’t flow naturally because it cuts between everyone’s interactions.

Not a good deedThe worst offense, however, is the unimaginative crime thriller aspect. The tension over what exactly happened to Paul and Lydia’s son plagues the parents and the series. The answers that gradually emerge are unsatisfactory and predictable to anyone paying attention. Beneath this mess lies a weak commentary about belonging and the need to put down roots, even if it’s an unaffordable home. Not a good deed connects these dots poorly, unfortunately making this show a questionable investment of time.

Not a good deed Premieres December 12th on Netflix