Margo Martindale has been one of Hollywood’s most reliable actresses since the late 1980s. She’s appeared in Oscar-winning dramas and comedies, playing “aw shucks” proud mothers and ruthless crime bosses, and she’s ubiquitous enough to be a recurring character in a showbiz animated comedy. Bojack Horsemanlike him. In Stickynew heist comedy series on Prime Video, Martindale gets a rare and long overdue chance to star. But, even though he’s playing himself as a maple syrup farmer who’s not content to make high scores, the things he works with aren’t very remarkable. The six-episode first season of Sticky a stack of cupcakes, the kind of food that fills you up but doesn’t leave a lasting memory—and you probably won’t want seconds.
It lives in the maple forests of Quebec, Sticky finds Ruth Landry of Martindale in a major conflict with the Quebec Maple Association, which regulates maple syrup cultivation. When a corrupt officer (Guy Nadon) tries to force her out of her farm, Ruth plots to steal gallons of sweet revenge from the League’s strategic warehouse. There are tangibles, of course: for Ruth, settling down to care for her comatose husband. For American criminal Mike (Chris Diamantopoulos), the score will get him out from under the thumb of the crime family that exiled him to the Great White North. But the security guard Remy (Guillaume Cyr) is very honest about his motives. He is looking for a modicum of self-respect after being looked down upon by the Maple Association. In their hearts, all three simply want to stop feeling like losers. Naturally, their foolish plan backfires, and the trio must think fast if they want to get rid of the syrup – and their lives.
Martindale gets to stretch his legs a bit like an angry wrecking ball. He shines with great fury and silent moments of cunning calculation. Like every character in the series, Ruth is driven by pride, a force that strengthens her determination but also clouds her judgment. There are seeds of a really strong character here, but the issues StickyThe tone of the humor prevents him from really sinking his teeth, and since he’s often playing the voice of reason in his gang of misfits, he also can’t go off the wall with humor.
Therefore, despite receiving the first payment, Martindale is always promoted by Chris Diamantopoulos, another actor of “that boy” under the next generation. That’s not a knock on him. This is a comedy, and Diamantopoulos gets a wide range of material and gets away with it. The whipping boy in his crime family, Mike is determined to present himself as a top position in his new gang, but his instincts are bad and his luck is terrible. Watching him try to get out of his predicament is fun.
Being a farcical heist story set in snowy North America, Sticky you naturally draw comparisons Fargoits revival as an anthology TV series has a whopping 70 Emmy nominations over five seasons. In this game, Sticky it is hopelessly outnumbered. Its characters aren’t as complex, its mysteries aren’t as compelling, and it’s not a visually interesting episode. However, it’s very light and playful, and it doesn’t have the bite it deserves Fargo legacy to the Coen Brothers. Not every family will want to watch an eight-hour, bloody, crime thriller while waiting for the snow during the Christmas holidays, but you might enjoy a shorter, sweeter (but TV-MA) alternative.
Sticky runs for six half-hour episodes and leaves threads dangling for a potential second season, but like many series airing today, it’s hard to escape the feeling that this was meant to be a self-contained film.. Season 1 ends at a time when, in the feature film, it will show another 15 minutes. The idea of squeezing another three hours into this story is not only unpleasant, it’s exhausting. In this season of Sticky it passes the “good enough not to turn off” airtime standard, but will anyone still remember it after the twelve months it will take for a follow-up?
Critics are tired of complaining about this phenomenon as viewers are still reading it, but the media economy’s shift in goals from “tickets sold” to “airtime hours” has created an industry-wide health crisis. One gets tired of that feeling of concentrated dissatisfaction that comes from a great meal at a casual restaurant. My stomach is full of my wallet, but why do I feel like I got my money?
‘The Sticky’ premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 6.
