Lucky Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2 Review: New Thriller Off to Explosive Start
Apple TV+’s new crime thriller Lucky does not waste any time getting to the point, which is that Lucky, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, is the opposite of her namesake. Lucky Season 1 Episode 1, “No Shortcuts” and Episode 2, “Make ‘em Dance,” introduce the titular character as her life is falling apart.
Based on Marissa Stapley’s 2021 novel, the story finds Lucky thrown back into the world of crime she grew up in after trying to pull off one last job that goes wrong. She wakes up in a Vegas hotel room, abandoned by her husband Cary (Drew Starkey), and their score of stolen money missing.
The cat-and-mouse chase, which is really a “two cats after the same mouse” chase, starts the season off with a bang. She has the FBI after her as well as the second-in-command of the crime boss whom her father John (Timothy Olyphant) stole the score from.
Her only real ally left is her dad, who can’t help very much from his prison cell. You won’t want to look away as you wonder what Lucky will do next to escape her impossible situation.
Taylor-Joy carries the bulk of the scenes, but the show is bolstered by a standout supporting cast that includes Olyphant, Annette Bening as terrifying crime boss Priscilla, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as persistent FBI Agent Billie Rand.
The transition from the glamorous Vegas setting in the premiere to the desolate desert is a visual reminder of how quickly things have gone south. If only her DIY gas station bathroom bleach job was the biggest of Lucky’s problems.
The only downside is the premiere episodes mostly focus on how badass Lucky is and less on any of her vulnerabilities or emotions. She manages to escape from and murder two professional thugs! She makes the FBI look like clowns multiple times!
Lucky is so cool that the theme song to the show is an original track from Fiona Apple. Everything about the show is signaling to you that you’re supposed to be impressed by her.
While this works for the first two episodes, it does make you wonder if there is more to Lucky, and if so, what. Taylor-Joy is an actress with immense range and is used to great effect here but not to her full potential.
While hiding with a family in the desert, she insists she still loves her fictional abusive husband she creates as part of her fake back story. This moment could be interpreted as her actually talking about her father who put her in this mess or her real husband who abandoned her.
If the show wants to elevate beyond popcorn thriller into prestige drama, we’re going to need to dig a little more into Lucky’s psyche.
We don’t see much of her and Cary’s relationship before he runs off, but that’s one area ripe for exploration. Marrying your crime boss’s son seems like a bad idea, but she must have had her reasons.
Lucky is off to a good start (well, good for viewers anyway), but we’ll see if Apple TV+ can keep up its streak or if the house doesn’t always win.
What did you think of the premiere of Lucky? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Lucky airs Wednesdays on Apple TV+.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.