Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow's fine dramatic performances struggle to elevate Netflix's dark comedy

Comedy-based mystery shows have become the norm in modern television, whether it's the eight-time Emmy winner Only murders in the building or Kaley Cuoco Based on a true story. Creator Liz Feldman has already had success with Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate. Dead to me and now she's back with Netflix No good deedwhich also reunites her with the former Emmy-nominated star, but doesn't find the same spark as her previous work.

Led by Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow, No good deed chronicles the lives of four couples, three of whom are trying to buy a beautiful Spanish-style villa in an upper-class neighborhood of Los Angeles, which is being sold by Paul and Lydia Morgan. On the surface, the Morgans are a couple facing empty nest syndrome because their daughter is out of touch and they are still mourning the death of their son some time earlier. As the bidding war escalates, Paul's just-out-of-prison brother shows up and blackmails the pair with the promise of exposing a dark secret in the house's history.

The performances from the cast of No Good Deed are excellent

Rare dramatic turns from Romano and Kudrow, in particular, prove compelling

One of the biggest things No good deed What's best is its huge roster of stars, including actors who have performed in multiple genres. Whether it's the typically comical Romano, Kudrow, Abbi Jacobson and Poppy Liu, dramedy queen Cardellini, the versatile Luke Wilson or heavyweights Teyonah Parris and OT Fagbenle, it proves to be one of the most diverse casts in modern cinema.

This track proves very beneficial with how much Feldman's work on No good deed jumps between tones, as much of the cast keeps us grounded in what she's going for in each moment. Jacobson and Liu's plot is generally effective with its mix of drama and comedy, Parris and Fagbenle's, while familiar, is a fun “mama's boy can't move on” arc, and Wilson and Cardellini's it's also an engaging mix of petty domestic squabbles and genuine drama as secrets about her are revealed.

But among the show's cast, Romano and Kudrow stand out. While Feldman certainly allows the duo to explore the comedy roots that put them on the map, the material actually gives them a lot of really powerful moments. Their very different ways of processing their son's death feel very authentic, as we feel the long-term effect on them as individuals and as a couple, and the few moments where they explode make just the right impact.

The show's central mystery is largely engaging and largely unpredictable

Feldman expertly distributes crumbs throughout all eight episodes

The comedy-mystery genre has explored a wide variety of stories, from cold cases being reopened to new murders being investigated by true-crime-obsessed locals. With No good deedFeldman finds an interesting and compelling way to develop the mystery at the heart of the series and also how she sets up the key revelations about the death of Paul and Lydia's son. It is widely claimed that his death was the result of an attempt to stop a home invasion, although it has never been clear who killed him or what part he played in it.

The series gradually begins to make it clear that one of the two characters was the likely culprit for his death, but in the last few episodes, No good deed offers a twist, revealing that the culprit was a third character. The reveal works partly because we spent so little time with that character that we had no reason to suspect him, but also because of the emotional flashback of the moment. A death already full of complexities becomes a truly thought-provoking situation with its final revelations.

Even outside the Morgan family, No good deed presents a variety of intriguing mysteries for each couple. Jacobson and Liu's struggles to build a family together stem from a huge lack of communication between them. Fagbenle and Parris' soon-to-be-born child raises important discussions between them about the darker sides of their childhoods that they have kept secret until now, and Cardellini's desire to buy the Morgan house actually has a more sinister motivation. that can bring down your entire family.

No good deed It's exaggerated and not that funny

Some character stories feel rushed and the humor, while grounded, hardly elicits more than laughs

Despite the fantastic performances and a great central mystery, No good deed Ultimately, it falls short for a few main reasons, the first being how crowded its narrative is. Even with eight episodes, Feldman can never quite decide who she considers to be the series' main characters, with Paul and Lydia certainly being set up as such, while some episodes see them largely sidelined in favor of others. characters. As the Morgan mystery moves beyond the focus of the story, it also causes characters like Jacobson and Liu to be sidelined and their story to be rushed.

The other unfortunate downside is that despite the show's attempts to present itself as a dark comedy, it just isn't that funny. There are certainly attempts at humor throughout its eight-episode season, especially on the darker side of things, but they don't deliver earth-shattering laughs, as Dead to me and Only murders in the building. Even rarer are the laughs, making us sometimes feel disconnected from the material even as the mystery and performances keep us invested.

All eight episodes of No good deed they are now streaming on Netflix.