Crime comedy is easily my favorite genre when it comes to episodic series. I’ve enjoyed The After Party, Only Murders in the Building, as well as Slow Horses (yes it’s a spy comedy but it also deals with crime investigation in a droll fashion). Now I can add Bad Monkey on Apple TV+ to my list of favorite caper comedy series!

From award-winning show-runner Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso. Shrinking), it stars Vince Vaughn as the lead who also serves as its executive producer. I didn’t realize Lawrence was behind the series when I watched the first episode but there’s definitely a ‘Ted Lasso’ vibe with this series with Vaughn’s character Vaughn’s character Andrew Yancey’s chill, laid-back charm who tends to babble incessantly. Yancey’s down on his luck, having been kicked out of the Miami Police Department (I won’t spoil the reason why), and is assigned to work as a health inspector in the Florida Keys.

Based on Carl Hiaasen’s hit novel (apparently Lawrence is a big fan of his work), the first episode starts off when a tourist fishing on a boat reels in a hairy human arm complete with his middle finger extended and a ring on his wedding finger. Yancey doesn’t buy that it’s a propeller accident like it’s been made out to be, he thinks the guy’s been murdered. The conversation between the deceased’s widow Eve (Meredith Hagner) makes the case smell even more fishy. He thinks if he could crack this case, he just might get his job back, which proves to be tricky as his sheriff boss Sonny (Todd Allen Durkin) and former partner Rogelio (John Ortiz) are set to drop the case and insist that Yancey leave it alone.

Interesting that I’ve recently seen two series using a droll narrator, My Lady Jane and this one. I typically am not fond of narration as a form of storytelling, but when done right, it can be quite entertaining. Well, Tom Nowicki serves as the narrator as well as the captain of a fishing boat shown early in the episode. His narration starts out a bit grating at first but after a while I quite enjoyed it and it adds to the quirky charm of the show. But what I enjoy most is Vaughn’s comedic performance in his motormouth mode and the light, easygoing vibe of the show. The show is as much about Yancey navigating through a bunch of quirky Floridians (and a grape-loving monkey) as it is about crime solving.

The script can get really silly and over the top at times, i.e. the scenes where Yancey hounds an annoying real estate agent (SNL’s Alex Moffat) eager to sell a fancy waterfront McMansion next door, but Vaughn and the talented ensemble cast make it fun. There’s a bit of romance between Yancey and his on-and-off girlfriend Bonnie (Michelle Monaghan) and flirty banter with medical examiner Rosa (Natalie Martinez) who reluctantly helps him investigate the case.

Meanwhile, there’s a parallel storyline in the Bahamas involving Neville (Ronald Peet) and his pet monkey Driggs whose beloved ocean-front home is being bulldozed to be a new lavish resort, and an Obeah (Bahamas’ form of voodoo) priestess The Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith). The on-the-nose narration tells us these two seemingly separate stories are actually one, well d’oh! There’s also Rob Delaney as a resort developer sporting a pornstache as if to make him appear extra douchey.

Lawrence has been in the TV comedy game for 30 years, and one of his standout skills is managing big ensembles. He has a knack for making characters memorable through dialogue, and Yancey is throwing out one-liners like there’s no tomorrow. Even the side characters are memorable, even Crystal the monkey (last seen in The Fabelmans) has character! I’m most curious to see the backstory of Bonnie (who obviously isn’t her real name) and the Dragon Queen in future episodes. I personally think Monaghan deserves her own show, I really thought she’d be a big star after Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I feel that the show takes a bit too long to introduce Yancey and Neville, even though I can see their storylines converge from a mile away.

After three episodes, I’m hooked on this show and it made me laugh. Even the episode title got me chuckling… ‘The Floating-Human-Body-Parts Capital of America,’ ha! Somehow I didn’t realize Vaughn is hilarious with a gift for improv (yes I know, I still need to see Swingers, Wedding Crashers, etc.) The murder mystery itself is intriguing and there are actual crime thriller elements such as people getting shot, car/foot chase, plus creepy dark magic stuff thrown in for good measure. The scenery of the Keys and the Bahamas, stunning white-sand beaches, and crystal-clear blue waters will definitely have you itching to plan your next island getaway!

Vaughn’s easy vibe and ad-libbed dialogue work well for Lawrence’s comedic material, which makes it enjoyable to watch. As with any good mystery, there is more than meets the eye and the unexpected twist manages to surprise me. Now, I’ve never read Hiassen’s novels so I can’t comment on whether the show captures the author’s sharp wit and satirical edge about the imperfect haven that is South Florida. But so far it’s a fun caper comedy, not as addictive as Ted Lasso, but pretty close!

The first two episodes of Bad Monkey are now available to stream on Apple TV+, with the remaining episodes premiering weekly on Wednesdays.

Have you seen BAD MONKEY? I’d love to hear what you think!

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