Lucky is Predictably Good
When I read Lucky by Marissa Stapley a few years ago, I could never have expected it to be turned into a TV show for Apple TV. The book was easy to read, entertaining, and binge-readable (meaning, I read it in one sitting). But it didn’t seem like the kind of memorable story that you want to see transformed into other versions. However, as I pressed play on the TV show, my mind was changed.
If we are honest, the story is predictable. Everything that happens to Lucky (Anya Taylor-Joy) is completely expected by the viewers. Nothing will surprise you, but you will be thoroughly entertained, and that has a lot to do with the performances put on our screens by this incredibly cast. Because, let’s be real, a show that includes Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and William Fichtner, among others, must be incredible.
I won’t give you any spoilers; you must watch the show for yourself. But let’s talk about why this predictable show works, shall we?
First and foremost, Bening steals the show completely. An actor of her caliber will always deliver a great performance, but the way in which Bening approaches the role of Priscilla is absolutely perfect. She is comical in a way that lightens the mood even when bullets are flying around, blood is spilling everywhere, and the show’s hero is struggling to stay alive. Priscilla becomes the comedic relief we didn’t know we needed until we pressed play.
However, this comedy approach that Bening utilizes with her character does not take away from the seriousness of who she is and what she brings to the story. Priscilla is still the kind of woman you do not want to cross, but she will get you laughing here and there. Again, credit where credit is due, Bening’s years of experience allow her to transform this character into the most memorable of the show…sorry, Lucky.
That’s not to say that Taylor-Joy’s performance isn’t good. On the contrary, she plays Lucky with a confidence that makes us truly believe this woman is capable of anything. Even when we believe it’s the end for her, Lucky finds a way to come back to life that leaves us in awe. That belongs to the storytelling, but it also belongs to the way in which Taylor-Joy is able to transform even the simplest of things into an act of magic. Her career, though not as long as Bening’s, is one to keep an eye on because the talent is unmatched.
It does seem the women rule the show because Ellis-Taylor is on the same level as her two counterparts. She brings Billie Rand to life as a complex, obsessive, and never-giving-up character. Her performance is absolutely brilliant because it makes us trust her as an FBI agent, but it also makes us second-guess her motives as her obsession with Priscilla advances.
While the women deliver the best performances on the show, Dutch (Clifton Collins Jr.) is definitely the most well-rounded and wisest character of them all. He sticks to his profession, never wavering from what he has to do, loyal to who he has to be, and always staying calm and collected. As the viewer, you won’t trust him, but you know that everything he does is true to character.
The performances and the characters make up for the predictability of the show, but two things in the storyline must be highlighted. The first one is that the choice to go back and forth in time to show us what happened to Lucky before she became the woman we now know is a good one. Without these jumps back and forth, we wouldn’t be able to truly understand what got her in this position. It is also a way to understand every character that surrounds her. The second one is the relationship between father and daughter. A lot is hiding behind the lies when it comes to these two characters. Neither of them is perfect, but one of them is willing to accept that. The complexity of this bond is what shakes things up at least a tiny bit before we see the ending, making us want to stay in our seats to find out what happens to them.
Lucky isn’t the kind of show you will be talking about years from now, but it is one that will entertain you as you watch it. The story is predictable, yes, but the performances delivering said story are so perfect that you might forget about the unrealistic moments that happen here and there.
A new episode of Lucky streams every Wednesday on Apple TV+, with the finale set for August 19.
Photos: Apple TV+
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