As a fan of the gone too show—and mistreated while it was here—Happy Endings, the primary cast has so much goodwill built up it’s difficult not to be reflexively excited when one of the actors gets another chance. That’s why I could not resist reviewing Mr. Throwback, a mockumentary about Danny (Adam Pally), a low-grade memorabilia pusher who has never outgrown the central trauma of his childhood. It also stars perennial All-Star basketball star Stephen Curry. A tired format with an athlete in a prominent role doesn’t exactly make one’s heart racing. But the Pally factor could not be ignored.
Thank goodness for that.
Mr. Throwback isn’t anyone’s idea of a superstar sitcom, but it proves a sneaky addition to Peacock’s lineup. Danny and Stephen (Curry plays himself) grew up together, along with the third member of their trinity, Kimberly (Ego Nwodim). Somehow, Danny, not Steph, dominated all comers on the courts of their middle school years. That is until the authorities figure out Danny’s father and coach Mitch (a very welcome Tracy Letts) lied about Danny’s age. Turns out he’s 14 and a half, not 12, hence why he towers over his teammates.
Peacock) Ayden Mayeri Layla Scalisi Adam Pally" class="wp-image-51209"/>The years since have not been kind to Danny. When we pick up with him at the show’s beginning, his business is failing. He owes lots of money to some very rough people. Interpersonally, things are bad as well. He hasn’t seen his two childhood friends in decades, his dad in almost as long, and his marriage has died under the weight of his own failing and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
In desperation, he runs to the United Center to catch Steph when the Golden State Warriors visit Chicago. Through an ever-increasing series of lies, Danny convinces his former friends that his daughter Charlie (Layla Scalisi) has a rare and fatal condition. In response, they agree to throw a benefit basketball game in her name.
Pally somehow makes Danny work. He’s a mess and a liar, absolutely. The actor’s performance doesn’t ignore that. However, it also excavates parts of Danny that are wounded, hopeful, and kind. He’s the con artist with a heart of gold who is suddenly winning after decades of losing. Get the mix wrong, as many others would, and the show would either be too sour or too treacly. Instead, Pally keeps it upright and darkly funny.
Peacock)Ego Nwodim Adam Pally Stephen Curry" class="wp-image-51210"/>The rest of the cast thankfully meets that energy. Adam’s ex Sam (Ayden Mayeri) also had a rough—arguably worse—childhood, but refuses to touch it, nevermind dwell on it like Danny. While she’s been the sensible and mature of the two, she too is easily seduced by the opportunities being part of Steph’s inner circle presents. Mayeri’s navigation of her mounting moral failings, pushed aside with rapidly intoned justifications, is one of the show’s delights. Nwodim, Scalisi, Letts, and Rich Sommer, as a youth-obsessed doctor, also provide strong material. They’re all generally decent and yet a little bit corrupted by how easy it can be drafting off Curry.
That brings us to Curry. He’s no LeBron James in Trainwreck, the current gold standard for basketball players playing a version of themselves on-screen. However, he’s also not James in Space Jam, thank goodness. Curry feels plenty comfortable in his own skin on camera, which is half the battle here. The somewhat guileless, good-hearted version of himself he presents works for a show where everyone is engaged in some degree of opportunism. He’s not delivering punchlines, but he gets how his just existing in this maelstrom of nonsense can be funny.
Peacock) Adam Pally Tracy Letts" class="wp-image-51208"/>Like most TV mockumentary sitcoms, Mr. Throwback doesn’t play it remotely fair with the format. The audience frequently witnesses footage that would’ve been impossible for the doc crew to capture. Not to mention that by going along with Danny’s lies, they almost certainly would face all sorts of civil, if not criminal, trouble. Viewers who bristle at the genre being used as more of an aesthetic than anything else are probably better off skipping this one.
The “reality” of the series sets up a world where the situation can become ridiculously over-the-top while still having some sense of consequence. The ending, on the other hand, flies in the face of this. It is its own kind of squishy satisfying, but so bright and happy as to puncture the rest of the show’s world. A final “Can you imagine how wild the second season will be?” coda helps to chill that too-warm vibe some. However, it’s not enough to erase the misstep. Throughout the rest of the show, we like Danny because we recognize that he has good qualities despite being fundamentally kind of rotten. The ending erases much of that complexity.
Nonetheless, for a show that read as rather dire on the page, Mr. Throwback proves an enjoyably amoral late summer surprise. This won’t be on anyone’s best in TV lists come December, but after a few months of pretty fallow attempts at comedy from the networks and streamers, it’s very welcome.
Mr. Throwback has some sweet game jerseys for you to look at on Peacock, starting August 8.