No Good Deed
Open House
Season 1
Episode 1
Editor’s Rating
Photo: Saeed Adyani/Netflix
I’m going to imagine that most individuals have discovered their technique to No Good Deed for one in all two causes: (1) due to the completely stacked forged or (2) since you had been a fan of Liz Feldman’s different Netflix darkish comedy, Dead to Me. The former is kind of a draw — Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano taking part in a married couple who might or might not be protecting up a homicide seems like a fever dream I as soon as had within the ’90s — however, admittedly, it’s the latter that had me most excited to take slightly sojourn in Los Feliz. Feldman’s final present had an ideal mixture of characters with grey ethical facilities, sufficient twists and turns to maintain you invested, and sufficient edge and humor that the heartfelt moments by no means felt overly saccharine. What can I say? I laughed, I cried, I gasped; it’s my means.
One episode in and you may see all of these parts at work right here in No Good Deed. Will they work in addition to they did in Dead to Me? Ehhh, the jury’s nonetheless very a lot out. “Open House” has a tricky job: It has to each introduce us to its fairly massive and assorted ensemble and begin planting seeds for this little thriller we’ve acquired happening. Technically, it succeeds in these endeavors, however I can’t say I walked away super-invested in any of it. There’s no Jen and Judy simply but — you understand what I’m saying? Thankfully, I’ve sufficient religion in Queen of the Cliffhanger Liz Feldman to belief the method. Also, it’s my job, so there’s that. And you understand what? There are worse issues to do than watch Luke Wilson and Linda Cardellini be horrible to one another. So, onward!
Welcome to 500 Derby Drive in Los Feliz, everyone! Here, we meet owners Lydia and Paul Morgan, who appear fairly desperate to get their gorgeously restored — Paul is a contractor — household dwelling off their palms. Well, Paul appears keen. Lydia is having a tricky time with such a giant change. So robust that she and Paul are hiding out of their son Jacob’s room, watching their open home on their safety digital camera with a purpose to choose all of the candidates. So robust that she compares it to “lopping an appendage off.” All of which is to say fairly robust. But whereas Lydia did elevate her household right here, Paul has lived on this home since he was a child, and but, for him, it appears virtually pressing that they unload this place. Could it merely be the truth that they’re broke? Lydia, an iconic pianist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic — she performed for Gustavo Dudamel! — apparently she hasn’t touched a piano in years, troubled with one thing that causes her palms to shake uncontrollably. So all of their earnings has fallen to Paul. So, positive, all of the anxiousness Paul clearly has about making a quick sale quite than an awesome one could possibly be associated to the Morgans’ cash points.
But even for those who purchase that originally, and even when the Morgans are in want of cash, the arrival of Denis Leary’s Mikey — he’s in all black, so you understand he’s Not a Good Guy — will instantly make you understand that’s not the complete story. After making his presence identified on the open home, Mikey later finds Paul working within the storage. He has not too long ago been launched after a three-year stint in jail for a drug cost, and never solely is he pissed that Paul by no means as soon as came over him, however he’s demanding he hand over $80,000 by tomorrow or he’ll inform the cops “the whole lot” he is aware of about what truly occurred in Paul’s home. Mikey reminds Paul that he “helped you whenever you wanted it most” after which “paid the fucking worth.” Given the best way Mikey appears so indignant that Paul by no means confirmed up for him whereas on the within, it’s uncertain he’s just a few man with incriminating proof prepared to gather on a number of money owed. However, the pace and ease with which he shoves Paul’s finger into the very a lot turned-on buzz noticed with a purpose to present Paul he’s critical along with his threats actually factors to a, let’s name it, difficult relationship.
Mikey’s not the one one who reveals up on the open home. We meet our complete forged of characters there, every with their very own set of secrets and techniques. There’s J.D. (Wilson) and Margo (Cardellini), who stay a number of homes down, and each have separate causes for wanting to take a look at the Morgans’ home — which might be why they attend the open home individually and don’t inform one another they’ve been there. J.D. is a really a lot out-of-work soap-opera actor who has his personal cash issues. He has spent all of his cash on preserving his spouse blissful (“Gifts are her love language”), which he appears intent on doing, even when he does look wildly sad about it. (Let’s not overlook that fast line about him going off his meds, by the best way.) Unfortunately, he has no concept that Margo is dishonest on him with some lady she’s attempting to associate with to purchase and flip the Morgan home. Margo looks as if an absolute monster — when Lydia sees her roll into the open home in her layers of make-up and full designer getup, she declares that she “will burn this place to the bottom if we promote to somebody like her” — admittedly, I’m obsessed together with her. This present so clearly wants an agent of chaos to spice this up down the highway, and agent of chaos, thy title is Margo.
We additionally meet newlyweds and really pregnant Carla (Teyonah Parris) and Dennis (O-T Fagbenle) … and Dennis’s mom, Denise (Anna Maria Horsford). If you couldn’t inform from their names alone, Dennis and Denise have a really particular relationship — one which Carla is simply discovering proper at this very second, which is super-fun for her. (Apparently, Carla and Dennis’s wedding ceremony was carried out in such haste that there wasn’t even an actual wedding ceremony, Denise can have you understand!) Carla and Dennis love this home, however it’s out of their worth vary. Well, it’s out of their worth vary till Denise comes up with an awesome plan: She’ll give them the cash, and she or he’ll transfer in with them to assist elevate the infant. Isn’t that so enjoyable and funky and beneficiant? Dennis asks his spouse. Carla appears as if her head may explode.
The third couple making a play for the home in Los Feliz is Leslie (Abbi Jacobson) and Sarah (Poppy Liu). They’ve been obsessive about this home, and now, since they’ve given up on IVF, they’ve some extra cash to place towards shopping for this place. They appear nice! I’m very into Sarah’s instant response that there are “darkish vibes” on this home, as a result of comply with your instincts, lady! But like all characters in a Liz Feldman manufacturing, these two are kinda fucked up too. We later uncover that Sarah is secretly nonetheless taking injections for IVF. We additionally uncover that Leslie is perhaps an insane individual. Or, on the very least, Leslie makes horrible selections.
After promising Sarah that she’d do some “night time loops” across the Morgan home to see what the neighborhood is like after darkish, regardless that it’s clear this neighborhood appears about as idyllic as it might get, Leslie merely can’t get it out of her head that one thing bizarre is happening within the upstairs bed room, the place earlier they noticed the door deal with jiggle. (We understand it was Lydia and Paul on their open-house stakeout.) And so she decides to do some gentle trespassing to … I suppose work out who or what’s in that room, regardless that any regular grownup human may most likely guess it’s simply somebody who, like, lives in that home? Also, how was she planning on getting as much as the second-story window? This plan is unhealthy and dumb.
Leslie by no means makes it far sufficient to even have to provide you with extra of a plan, for the reason that second she sneaks by way of the again gate, the floodlight goes on and the neighbor’s canine begins barking, waking up Paul and Lydia. Already on edge from the emotional open home, Mikey’s blackmail threats, and that complete factor when Paul’s finger acquired despatched by way of a buzz noticed, Paul heads downstairs to maintain who or what’s exterior. But first he makes a pit cease: He runs all the way down to the basement, the place he promptly pulls a handgun out of a pipe, a gun that appears as if it’s been safely hidden away on goal … you understand, as if it could be incriminating proof.
And immediately we get a number of bits of very pertinent info: First, we study that Jacob, Paul and Lydia’s son, whom Lydia has been leaving voice-mails for all through the episode, was killed contained in the Morgans’ home. As Margo factors out, it makes good sense that they’d put the home up on the market now — you don’t should disclose that there was a dying in the home after three years. We additionally get a fast flash from Paul when he sees that gun once more — a flash to a physique in a hoodie on their kitchen ground and a complete lot of blood. It appears like Mikey, the hidden gun, Jacob’s dying, and Paul and Lydia’s determined want to depart this home behind are all associated. Maybe the Morgans will find yourself being their very own brokers of chaos.
At the very least, they may have some explaining to do: Leslie — who we all know can’t let issues go — watches as Paul dumps the handgun in Lydia’s piano.
• At least now we all know why Lydia doesn’t wish to depart this home: She doesn’t wish to let go of her son. And I’m referring to each all of the recollections she has of him rising up right here and the truth that she sees her son — or, not less than, believes he’s speaking to her by way of the flickering lights in his bed room. Not for nothing, however her little “hello” to the sunshine fixture broke my coronary heart.
• Paul and Lydia have a daughter, too, however apparently Emily hasn’t set foot again inside the home since Jacob died. What does she know?!
• Here’s hoping they let Matt Rogers’s Greg the Realtor do greater than commerce quips at an open home. His fast, contentious interplay with Margo was good, and I need extra of it.
• Vanessa Bayer in a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it cameo in the course of the open home, however for why?
