'No Good Deed' Review: Lisa Kudrow and Linda Cardellini deserve better than this Netflix release
Netflix has offered some great dark comedies in the past. 'Beef' and 'Dead To Me' are some that I loved watching and would highly recommend to anyone. Further expanding the category, Netflix’s most recent offering is 'No Good Dead', which I, by the way, binge-watched as soon as it premiered.
I had absolutely no reason to skip this one. The show is created by 'Dead To Me' creator Liz Feldman, and I can't help but draw similarities between the two. Apart from the shared casting of Linda Cardellini (and a similar house), 'No Good Deed' explores familiar themes like murder, secrets, and grief. Despite these similarities, the show offers a new plot but sadly fails during the execution.
'No Good Deed' fails to fully use its resources
'No Good Dead' has an interesting premise - three couples are competing to buy the same house - but the property has secrets of its own. This dream house is owned by Lydia and Paul Morgan, played by Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano. Their relationship is at rock bottom due to an incident that happened three years ago.
Despite the solid plot, the series falls flat due to poor execution. While the Morgans remain in the center stage, the multiple storylines sometimes make things confusing. Even the arcs of couples like JD (Luke Wilson) and Margo (Linda Cardellini); or Carla (O-T Fagbenle) and Dennis (Teyonah Parris) aren't given enough space to breathe.
The show is loaded with great actors. We've got Linda Cardellini, Luke Wilson, Teyonah Parris, Abbi Jacobson, Poppy Liu, Denis Leary, O-T Fagbenle, and even Wyatt Aubrey. With so much star power, you’d expect fireworks, right? Sadly, that doesn't happen. Many of the characters just feel like background noise, ultimately failing to deliver the humor they were supposed to!
Lisa Kudrow is the sole anchor in 'No Good Dead'
It was very early in the show when I realized that this wasn't what I was expecting it to be! I would have turned it off if it wasn't for Lisa Kudrow. The 'FRIENDS' star, mostly known for comic roles, beautifully portrays the grief of a mother and balances the tone of the show with subtle wit and sarcasm.
Linda Cardellini is total fireworks as Margo. However, it's not the character but Cardellini's natural charm that impresses us. The show, however, could have put the two actresses together in more scenes and see the magic unfold.
But our main problem begins with Ray Romano's Paul. We all love him for his comedic chops, but somehow, he doesn't seem to fit well in the role of grumpy and resentful husband. It would have been exciting to watch Paul Rudd or Adam Sandler as Paul instead.
Though we have a lot of complaints, the show isn't a total misfire. Creator Liz Feldman keeps things interesting although eight episodes feel like a bit over-stretched. And some of us would just watch it for the actors, even though the show massively lacks humor.
'No Good Deed' is now streaming on Netflix
