Florida has long been the perfect backdrop for chaotic TV crime romps, and Bad Monkey continues that tradition. The sun-kissed setting, with its mix of laid-back law enforcement and lush tropical scenery, creates an ideal environment for captivating small-screen storytelling.
The sun-soaked hues of Bad Monkey feature Vince Vaughn as Andrew Yancy, a down and out detective navigating the quirky chaos of the Florida Keys. Yancy finds himself unofficially working a case after being suspended for ramming his lover’s sketchy husband’s golf cart into the water. Despite his suspension, Yancy, a down-to-earth, everyman type, finds solace in his laid-back lifestyle. He delights in small joys, like thwarting the sale of the megamansion next door and enjoying a drink on his sunlounger as he gazes out at the ocean.
Yancy’s peaceful existence is abruptly shattered when a severed arm mysteriously appears on his doorstep. The grisly find was discovered by a honeymooner on a fishing trip in the Keys, expecting to reel in a marlin but hooking something far more sinister. Yancy’s former partner, Rogelio (John Ortiz), delivers the unwelcome package, knowing full well that no one else wants to deal with the arm or the mountain of paperwork it brings.
The police don’t want it, and the morgue refuses it. Officially, Yancy’s task is to keep the arm safe, but Rogelio has a different motive—it’s a ploy to draw Yancy back into the world of detective work. What follows is a chaotic pursuit, with Yancy trying to offload the arm to a determined Miami forensic pathologist, Rosa Campesino (Natalie Martinez).
Yancy urges Rosa to declare the arm’s origin as a probable homicide. When the limb is traced back to Nick Stripling, a dubious businessman, Yancy turns his attention to Stripling’s wife, Eve (Meredith Hagner). Oddly, Eve seems unfazed by her husband’s recent disappearance, raising Yancy and Rosa’s suspicions. Their hunch is correct—Eve is entangled with the dangerous Christopher (Rob Delaney, and if you’ve seen him in Deadpool recently, he’s still rocking that iconic Peter mustache.)
‘Bad Monkey’ is a fun, light-hearted series that makes you wish for a tropical getaway.
Christopher is busy attempting to snatch up property in a quiet Bahamian town, where Neville (Ronald Peet) and his mischievous pet monkey, Driggs—the “bad monkey” of the title—lead a relaxed, carefree life. However, their tranquil existence is threatened when American developers swoop in, determined to demolish Neville’s cottage to make way for a luxury resort. The narrator, acknowledging the potential confusion from the shifting storylines, reveals at the end of the first episode that, indeed, these seemingly separate stories are intertwined.
Created by Ted Lasso mastermind Bill Lawrence, Bad Monkey is a fun, light-hearted series that makes you wish for a tropical getaway. The banter between the excellent Vince Vaughn and Natalie Martinez is refreshingly buoyant and flirtatious, while Michelle Monaghan pops in and out of the first two episodes with a bouncy vibe reminiscent of her role in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
The show features a stellar cast throughout, and the entertainment largely comes from watching these colorful characters interact in delightfully outrageous scenarios. With its stunning paradise settings and an engaging plot, I’m eager to see how the rest of the series unfolds.
The first two episodes of Bad Monkey are now streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes released weekly.
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