Loaded Ep. 101 – Lawsuit
Imagine having your bank account suddenly jump from having $600 dollars in it to a staggering $14 million. Now for those of us on this side of the Atlantic imagine that tidy sum is actually in British pounds…(that’s roughly $23 million CDN or $18 million US). That’s the premise of AMC’s latest entry Loaded. The lives of four friends are drastically altered when they sell their start up videogame company Idly Hands for millions. Originally broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK in May, Loaded made its North American debut last night.
Ferraris, taking a bath in Dom Perignon and throwing shade at all of their previous detractors via a barbershop quartet can’t hide the fact that Josh (Jim Howick), Leon (Samuel Anderson), Watto (Nick Helm) and Ewan (Jonny Sweet) are all comicly flawed 30 somethings struggling to deal with their new lots in life. Its been said that money changes everything, but for these four it only seems to accentuate their weaknesses.
Also a part of success is getting sued. The lawsuit draws the ire of the lads’ new boss, Casey (Mary McCormack) a no nonsense American who describes herself as a “sexy Darth Vader”. Casey’s got a sharp tongue and has some of the best lines in the episode. Her character promises to be the comedic gold of the show as she channels her inner Ari Gold to keep the foursome in line. Casey’s assistant, Naomi (Lolly Adefope) is another source of chuckles.
Loaded also has a touch of social consciousness to go along with the laughs. Its like the excess of the 80’s this time channeled by geeks instead of Wall Street hustlers. Times have changed and the excess of success in years past has been replaced somewhat by environmentally and socially conscious consumerism. The show’s debut episode is an uneven mix of laughs and character development but the potential is there for the series to find its footing.
The interplay between the cast is great but after viewing Lawsuit there’s a feeling of wanting more. Perhaps using shows like Entourage and Ballers, which chronicle the behind the scenes worlds of acting and professional football as comparisons is unfair. Mobile gaming and geek culture aren’t on the level of excess as the aforementioned professions but a little more Dom Perignon in the tub would be welcome.
